ZTE, Huawei mull local manufacturing, Ericsson keen on expansion

NEW DELHI: Chinese telecom equipment makers ZTE and Huawei are considering manufacturing in India to avoid paying a 20% basic customs duty imposed by the government last year. Sweden’s Ericsson plans to invest more in its local facilities to increase exports.

“We are carefully looking at the feasibility of local manufacturing. This is also a subset of our discussions with the Indian authorities,” Xiao Ming, President, ZTE Global Sales, told ET. “This is still in very early stages. We are seeing the Indian government’s ambitions which are positive, that’s why we are seriously considering mobile manufacturing.” The executive said if the company can gain a cost advantage through incentives, then it would “love to shift many of its factories to India.”