Increasing Indigenous Electronics Manufacturing and a Growing EMS Services Sector Propel the Market for SMT Equipment in India, Says Frost & Sullivan

MUMBAI - A major thrust for electronics manufacturing in recent years has paved the way for a significant influx of original equipment manufacturers and electronic manufacturing services (EMS) companies in India. Today most of the global majors in EMS have a presence in the country. The growing demand in manufacturing of electronic products directly influences the sale of surface mount technologies (SMT) equipment. The SMT equipment market is witnessing steady growth bolstered by the demand from various end user sectors such as communications, consumer, industrial, automotive and medical where electronics penetration has been on the rise.

New analysis from Frost & Sullivan (www.smt.frost.com), Indian Surface Mount Technologies Market, finds that the market earned revenues of $54.1 million in 2008 and estimates this to reach $88.8 million in 2012 growing at a CAGR of 13.2 percent.

If you are interested in a virtual brochure, which provides a brief synopsis of the research and a table of contents, then send an e-mail to Ravinder Kaur/ Nimisha Iyer, Corporate Communications, at ravinder.kaur@frost.com/ niyer@frost.com, with your full name, company name, title, telephone number, company e-mail address, company website, city, state and country. Upon receipt of the above information, a brochure will be sent to you by e-mail.

The Electronics and Security Practice at Frost & Sullivan will also be hosting a complimentary Analyst Briefing on the SMT Equipment Market in the Electronics Manufacturing Process. The presentation will be held on Thursday, 16th April 2009 at 3 p.m. IST. If you are interested in attending this Analyst briefing then send an e-mail to Ravinder Kaur, Corporate Communications, at ravinder.kaur@frost.com, with your full name, company name, title, telephone number, company e-mail address, company website, city, state and country.

“Availability of cost effective and skilled labor is positioning India as a preferred destination for EMS and OEM companies,” explains Frost & Sullivan Research Analyst Bharath K. “With an increase in the perks awarded to foreign direct investments (FDI) by the government of India, many of the global companies are anticipated to set up their manufacturing facilities in the country, thereby augmenting the demand for SMT equipment.”

Telecom and automotive are the most prominent industries in India, contributing significantly to the country’s GDP, and this expected to continue in the coming years. The mobile revolution and increasing attractiveness of technologies such as WiMax, and VOIP is necessitating indigenous manufacturing of the various telecom products such as handsets, base stations, modems and VOIP phones thus creating demand for SMT equipment.

The automotive industry too is replacing its older technology equipment with more advanced technology that includes numerous electronic components and control units. The local manufacturing of the automotive electronic products is seen as further driving the need for SMT equipment to improve efficiency in the production process.

However, increase in the usage of miniature printed circuit boards (PCBs) in various application segments forces the SMT equipment vendors to develop and offer cost effective and high technology solutions to their OEM and EMS customers. The continuous evolution of the electronics manufacturing processes compels SMT equipment suppliers to keep themselves abreast of these developments and upgrade their products accordingly. This makes the market more challenging as SMT equipment suppliers need to provide the most advanced equipment but at competitive prices.

Value added services are a major differentiator in the SMT market enabling equipment suppliers to keep their prices at a marginal premium while being a major selection criterion that customers look for.

“SMT equipment vendors need to strike the right balance between technology and price in order to gain a competitive edge,” explains Bharath. “The best strategy in pricing lies in being cost effective while ensuring provision of value adding services for customers.”

Despite the recent slowdown in demand caused by global economic conditions and technology upgrades, the SMT equipment markets in India are expected to rebound. There are ample indicators for strong growth in the SMT placement, screen printers, soldering, and inspection equipment product markets.

Indian Surface Mount Technologies Market is part of the Surface Mount Technology Growth Partnership Services program, which also includes research in the following markets: Indian SMT Placement Equipment Market, Indian SMT Inspection Equipment Market, Indian SMT Soldering Equipment Market, Indian SMT Screen Printers & Glue Dispensers Equipment Market. Indian SMT Cleaning Equipment Market. All research services included in subscriptions provide detailed market opportunities and industry trends that have been evaluated following extensive interviews with market participants. Interviews with the press are available.

Frost & Sullivan, the Growth Partnership Company, enables clients to accelerate growth and achieve best in class positions in growth, innovation and leadership. The company’s Growth Partnership Service provides the CEO and the CEO’s Growth Team with disciplined research and best practice models to drive the generation, evaluation and implementation of powerful growth strategies. Frost & Sullivan leverages over 45 years of experience in partnering with Global 1000 companies, emerging businesses and the investment community from 31 offices on six continents. To join our Growth Partnership, please visit www.frost.com.

Indian Surface Mount Technologies Market

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Contact: Ravinder Kaur Corporate Communications - South Asia P: +91-44-42044760 F: +91-44-24314264 E: ravinder.kaur@frost.com Tanu Chopra Corporate Communications - Middle East P: +91-22-4001-3437 F: +91-22-2832-4713 E: tanuc@frost.com Nimisha Iyer Corporate Communications - South Asia & Middle East P: +91-22-40013400 F: +91-22-2832 4713 E: niyer@frost.com www.frost.com

Source: Frost & Sullivan (India) Pvt. Ltd.

Contact: Ravinder Kaur, Corporate Communications - South Asia, P: +91-44-42044760, F: +91-44-24314264, E: ravinder.kaur at frost.com; Tanu Chopra, Corporate Communications - Middle East, P: +91-22-4001-3437, F: +91-22-2832-4713, E: tanuc at frost.com; Nimisha Iyer, Corporate Communications - South Asia & Middle East, P: +91-22-40013404, F: +91-22-2832-4713, E: niyer at frost.com