'8 Apple factories have shifted to India from China, Samsung already here': IT Minister

Amid the border tensions with China along the LAC and India banning over 200 apps with Chinese links, Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Sunday said that the global manufacturing ecosystem is realising that they must have other places apart from China as India is emerging as a big manufacturing centre.

'More than 250 mobile factories in India'

"India is emerging as a big manufacturing centre and the global manufacturer ecosystem is realising that they must have other places apart from China. I am glad to inform that Apple is shifting to India in a significant way, Samsung has already come and they further want to expand. I have been told that around eight factories of Apple have shifted to India from China," he said while interacting with the non-resident Biharis via video conference. 

"When we came to power in 2014, there were only two mobile factories in India, now its number has crossed 250. We launched Aatmanirbhar Bharat with production-linked incentive. We invited global companies to come to India and also Indian companies to match," he added.

He said that the bold step by Prime Minister Narendra Modi against China has been recognised by the US, UK, Japan and Australia. "When something happened with China in Ladakh, our PM stood firmly and made it very clear that India shall not compromise on its sovereignty. This bold stand of India is being globally recognised from US, UK and Japan to Australia," Prasad said.

India-China faceoff at LAC

Meanwhile, the Indian and Chinese militaries on Sunday held another round of talks in eastern Ladakh in an attempt to calm tensions even as the situation remained "delicate" with both sides further rushing in additional troops and weapons following last week's confrontations, PTI quoted government sources as saying. The nearly four-hour brigade commander-level interaction near Chushul could not produce any tangible outcome, they said.

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On Monday, the Indian Army said the Chinese military carried out "provocative military movements" to "unilaterally" change the status quo on the southern bank of Pangong Lake on the intervening night of August 29 and 30 but the attempt was thwarted by the Indian troops.

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The fresh attempt by China to change the status quo in the Pangong lake area is the first major incident in the area after the Galwan Valley clashes on June 15 in which 20 Indian Army personnel were killed. China also suffered casualties but is yet to make the details public. According to an American intelligence report, it was 35.

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(With agency inputs)