Indian Hardware Mkt to grow at 30 pc per annum

Bangalore, Aug 17: Indian Hardware market is expected to grow at 30 per cent per annum from the present 25 billion US Dollars and the total demand for electronic hardware products touch 75 billion Dollars by 2010, Indian Printed Circuit Association President Mukund L Shah said today.

Talking to newspersons here, he said World electronics hardware market was USD 1400 billion at present, of which Asia Pacific accounted for 44 per cent with China representing a major share.

China's electronic hardware market was at USD 25 billion at present and expected to grow at 30 per cent per year in the next five years.

He said the total demand for electronic hardware products was expected to reach USD 75 billion by 2010. This was further expected to touch USD 150 billion by 2015. ''This indicates that for the next 10 years, the Electronic hardware market is on high growth path,'' he added.

He said the World PCB products was at USD 42.7 billion at present. Japan cornered the highest share of 24.7 per cent in this, followed by China 23.5 per cent. The US and Europe had 10.7 per cent and nine per cent respectively.

India currently produced approximately USD 25.6 million where as the current demand was in excess of USD 52 million. ''This huge gap is being filled by imports of Printed Circuit Boards (PCBs) as the PCB industry is highly capital intensive. The ratio of capital employed to turnover is one:one.

''Few international players are planning to set up their plants in India. However, to meet the demand supply gap the investment of the order of Rs 1500 crore was required and Rs 1,000 crore every year for the next five years,'' he added.

Mr Shah said a three-day ICPA expo 2006-- an International Trade Show on Printed Circuit Board Industry, Allied equipment, Products and Business--would be held in the city from September 21.

PCB industries from over ten countries would take part in the expo.

UNI