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. 2021 Jul 18;21(4):e2725. doi: 10.1002/pa.2725
Sectors heavily dependent on imports Sectors partially dependent on imports Sectors that have minimal dependence on imports
1. Electrical and Electronics industry:
  • The equipment such as smartphones and computers play a key role in India's import bill.
  • The value addition in India's electronics industry is limited to mostly assemblage
  • The country depends on imports to access most of the primary and critical components that are required for their assemblage, including printed circuit boards (PCBs).
  • For example, around 88% of the components used by the mobile handsets, industry are imported from other countries, mostly China
2. Medical devices:
  • Over 60% of the country's medical devices are imported from outside.
3. Solar sector:
  • Cells and modules used by the country's solar power industry are the products heavily imported from outside countries.
1. Pharmaceutical industry:
  • These industries are capable of making finished formulations, and also have domestic manufacturers of several key ingredients that are required to make the related products.
  • But the industry also imports some key ingredients such as antibiotics and vitamins which are currently not manufactured in India.
  • India is presently trying to encourage domestic firms to make these key ingredients, known as fermentation‐based APIs.
  • India imported around Rs 249 billion worth of key ingredients, including fermentation‐based ingredients, in FY19, and this accounted for approximately 40% of the overall domestic consumption.
2. Some medical devices:
  • Devices like ventilators also rely on imports of several crucial components like solenoid valves and pressure sensors
3. Automobile industry:
  • Some auto manufacturers depend on imports for various components.
  • On the other hand, India's electric vehicles industry is dependent, “to a large extent” on Chinese imports for chemicals that are used to make cathodes and battery cells.
4. Dyes and dyestuff industry:
  • Local dyestuff units in the country are also heavily dependent on imports of several raw materials.
  • Special chemicals for textiles like denim are also imported in India.
1.Textile sector:
  • India is not dependent on imports for some textile components like yarn.
  • India's share in textiles worldwide has been going up.
2. Other products:
  • India currently does have the capacity to domestically make products like hot water bottles, mercury thermometers, hypodermic needles, wheelchairs, and patient monitoring display units.