Why in News?
- The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) and the Government of Madhya Pradesh signed an agreement to set up India's first Telecom Manufacturing Zone (TMZ) in Gwalior.
About Telecom Manufacturing Zone (TMZ)
- It's a 350-acre integrated industrial campus built on a plug-and-play model, where companies can design, test, certify, and manufacture telecom products all under one roof.
- A Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) will run the project, with Madhya Pradesh holding 51% and the DoT the remaining 49%.
- The zone covers the entire telecom value chain - handsets, optical fibre cables, antennas, routers, satellite communication equipment, and semiconductor chips.
- The Centre is providing 100% funding for Phase-I core infrastructure (₹493–500 crore), while the project is projected to draw investments of up to ₹35,000 crore over time with ₹2,000 crore already finalised at the signing and over 10,000–14,000 jobs expected.
