New Delhi/Bhopal: The Centre and the Madhya Pradesh government on Thursday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish India’s first Telecom Manufacturing Zone (TMZ) in Gwalior, a project expected to attract investments of up to Rs 9,000 crore and generate more than 10,000 jobs.
The MoU was signed between the Union Department of Telecommunications (DoT), and the Madhya Pradesh Department of Industries in the presence of Union Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia and Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav.
Describing the project as a major milestone for the country’s telecom sector, Scindia said the Telecom Manufacturing Zone would strengthen the Centre’s vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat, Make in India, Digital India and Viksit Bharat 2047, while positioning Madhya Pradesh as a key telecom manufacturing hub.
“The country’s first Telecom Manufacturing Zone in Gwalior is a historic achievement for both Madhya Pradesh and India. It will provide new momentum to the vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat, Make in India, Digital India and Viksit Bharat 2047,” he added.
The Union Minister said the project would be developed over nearly 350 acres under a plug-and-play model, with the Centre providing Rs 500 crore as 100 per cent financial assistance for infrastructure development in the first phase.
He said the integrated manufacturing hub would include facilities for research, design, testing and production of mobile phones, telecom network equipment, fibre optics, semiconductors, and next-generation 5G and 6G technologies.
“The telecom sector must move beyond being a service provider and become a manufacturing hub. Building a strong indigenous ecosystem is essential, and this Telecom Manufacturing Zone is a significant step in that direction,” Scindia added.
He said that the project is expected to bring investments of up to Rs 9,000 crore and create more than 10,000 long-term employment opportunities.
Scindia added that companies such as Dixon Technologies, HFCL and Tejas Networks have already committed investments of around Rs 2,000 crore in the first phase, which is expected to generate more than 4,500 jobs.
For the implementation of the project, a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) will be formed, with the Madhya Pradesh government holding a 51 per cent stake and the Department of Telecommunications holding the remaining 49 per cent.
Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, who also joined the event, said the project would accelerate industrial growth in the state and help transform Gwalior into a major centre for electronics and telecom manufacturing.
Calling the project a symbol of cooperative federalism, Scindia said it was not merely an industrial initiative but a step towards making India self-reliant in advanced telecom technologies.
“We must move from being a nation dependent on the world to one on which the world depends,” he said, expressing confidence that the project would help establish India as a global telecom manufacturing powerhouse.
(IANS)
