Centre to announce package for hardware industry

Chennai, Sep 10 (UNI) The Centre would announce a package for hardware industry after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh returns from United States, Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram said today.

Inaugurating SPEL Semiconductor Limited's new Leadless molded package at SPEL Facility in Maraimalainagar here, he said the Finance Ministry and the IT and Communications Ministry had put together the package for the hardware industry.

He said India should produce same type of goods produced across the world.

''The technology eluded from us for a while. But now I have great faith that we could do anything just as better as what is being done anywhere in the world'', he said.

Assembling and testing were the initial technological step in the direction of hardware production, he added.

''Ultimately, within a couple of years, we must set up chip manufacturing facilities and lab facilities that can equal any other facility in the world''.

Mr Chidambaram said the IT industry was absorbing most of the engineers in the country. ''If every engineering graduate becomes IT engineers, who will look after mining, metallurgy and manufacturing industries. We must pay attention to our human resources'', he said.

'' We need high quality, first grade human resources that can meet the challenges in this globalised world,'' he added.

He also underlined the need to focus on Research and Development as R and D was the heart of any technology driven business. We must become a knowledge inventing society, a knowledge producing and a knowledge sharing society, emphasised Mr Chidambaram.

He said Indians were the leaders in world class organisations and institutions across the world.

''We must create a climate, so that they can come back, work and create world class organisations here. This country must open its doors to any one who has knowledge and make India a knowledge-based society,'' he added.

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