NEW DELHI: Days after India made it mandatory to seek a licence for the import of laptops and personal computers (PC), state-owned ITI Limited has claimed it has developed its own brand of laptop and micro PC for the domestic market.
The company, which offers a complete range of telecom products, claims that its products --branded as SMAASH -- can match international quality and performance standards. Products from the Bangalore-based public sector company are already available in the market, and the company has successfully won many tenders, competing against MNC brands such as Acer, HP, Dell, and Lenovo.
“The flagship products - Laptop and Micro PC -- have been designed in association with Intel Corporation with which an MoU has been signed for design and manufacturing,” said a company statement. After the announcement, the share price of the company rose from the Rs 125 level in the afternoon to close the day on Monday at Rs 149.30, up 20% from the previous day’s closing.
The central government holds a 90.28% stake in ITI Ltd. In August 2023, the government mandated that starting November 1, laptop manufacturing firms must obtain a licence to import laptops, PCs, and servers into India. It has won two tenders from KITE- Kerala Infrastructure and Technology for Education and has supplied about 9,000 laptops to the government schools in Kerala.
“SMAASH is being received well and is helping us win tenders in cutthroat markets. It is indeed a challenging task to win tenders competing with MNCs who have global reach and deep pockets. We have to innovate not only with technology but also with our business model and SMAASH delivers every time,” said Rajesh Rai, Chairman and MD of ITI Ltd.