IndOS

2023: System Development

In mid-January 2023, Indian authorities teamed up with academia and startups to develop a mobile operating system called IndOS.

As of January 20, 2023, the main mobile operating systems are Android and iOS, said the Minister of Electronics and Information Technology of India Rajiv Chandrasekhar. Attempts to create its own mobile OS were made by many large technology companies, including Samsung, BlackBerry, Palm and Microsoft, but they were unsuccessful. Chandrasekhar added that the country's administration is interested in developing an Indian operating system, in addition to iOS and Android. Due to the fact that the only alternative is only HarmonyOS from the Chinese Huawei, and even then, it is a fork in Android and is not much different from it.

India creates national OS

Against the background of how the duopoly prevails in the mobile OS market (Android and iOS essentially divide it among themselves), India will try to offer its own IndOS solution. They will be developed by local startups or representatives of academia. It is unclear if IndOS will be for the Indian market, or if it will be an international product.

The statements come after the publication of the second volume of "A Country's Vision for Electronics Development," produced by ICEA, an organization whose members include companies such as Apple and Foxconn. It is planned that by 2026 the volume of electronics production in India will reach $300 billion per year. As of January 2023, the value of this industry is $75 billion, which is almost 10 times more than in 2021, when India's exports amounted to $15 billion.

According to the British website The Register, India has no leverage over device manufacturers that it is trying to lure to its shores. It is promised that investments in local customers will lead to the creation of enterprises capable of serving offshore customers as well. The state is betting that its plan will be attractive to producers who have learned a tough risk management lesson when they put all the eggs in China's basket.^[1]

Notes