Telecom PLI gets DoT's backing even as half firms miss incentives

Cabinet secretary likely to convene review meeting

- OJASVI GUPTA

THE DEPARTMENT OF telecommunications (DoT) is expected to give a positive account of the telecom production linked incentive (PLI) scheme at a meeting which the Cabinet secretary is expected to convene to review the performance of all the PLI programmes.

Sources said that the DoT's response to this effect assumes significance as only half of the approved firms have so far claimed incentives.

However, officials said that this is not much of a concern as overall the scheme has delivered on its core objectives.

While 21 of the 42 approved companies have not yet drawn any incentive, officials said that the scheme has already generated sizeable investment, output and exports, and has attracted leading global and domestic manufacturers into the ecosystem.

"The companies themselves set their sales and investment targets.

"Even if they have not claimed incentives, they are contributing to production and exports, which is the broader aim of the policy," officials said.