Last week, the Union Cabinet approved the second phase of the Indian Semiconductor Mission (ISM) with an allocation of 1.27 trillion rupees. Additionally, the second phase of the Mobile Phone Manufacturing Scheme was approved with investments of 62,500 crore rupees.
The Minister of Electronics and Information Technology of the Union, Ashwini Vaishnaw, stated that out of twelve projects for the manufacturing and packaging of semiconductor chips approved by the government under ISM, three have already commenced commercial production. Vaishnaw emphasized that the semiconductor industry is a foundational sector because all devices use semiconductor chips, and now the entire electronics product creation chain is covered.
Under the second phase of ISM, the government will provide a combination of grants and equity investments for the development of strategic and commercial chips in India. A fixed incentive of 30 percent will be set for the production of equipment, chemicals, gases, and materials.
According to Vaishnaw, the total investment under ISM is expected to reach 4 trillion rupees, with production amounting to 2 trillion rupees and exports reaching 1 trillion rupees. As of July 15, 2026, India had approved 12 projects with cumulative investments exceeding 1.60 trillion rupees under the flagship Indian Semiconductor Mission valued at 76,000 crore rupees.
The initial Indian Semiconductor Mission, approved by the Union Cabinet in December 2021, received approval for its first project in June 2023. This project concerned Micron's proposal to establish an Assembly, Testing, Marking, and Packaging (ATMP) unit for semiconductor chips in Sanand, Gujarat, with investments of $2.75 billion. Later that year, the government approved the first chip manufacturing project in India—a joint venture between Tata Group India and Taiwan's Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation with investments of approximately $11 billion, equivalent to about 91,000 crore rupees.
Ilzat Kasimov, Deputy Minister of Investments, Industry, and Trade of Uzbekistan, met with Yu Yan, CEO of the Chinese company JAC Motors, on July 15. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the further development of joint automobile production in Uzbekistan.
The parties noted that the opening of the JAC Motors plant in the Yangi Avlod Special Industrial Zone in May 2026 was a significant step for the development of Uzbekistan's modern automotive industry and the expansion of industrial cooperation between Uzbekistan and China.
Main attention was paid to the next stage of project implementation. Participants discussed plans to accelerate the transition of the plant from Semi Knocked Down (SKD) assembly to Complete Knocked Down (CKD) production as early as next year.
In addition, the parties considered measures aimed at deepening production localization, increasing the plant's export potential, and implementing advanced technologies.
The Road Freight Association (RFA) and the South African Freight and Logistics Association (SAFLA) announced on Tuesday the formalization of a strategic partnership through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).
The partnership is intended to create a broader foundation for advancing interests in logistics and cargo forwarding. According to the statement, this agreement establishes a framework for structured interaction in areas such as customs modernization, border digitalization, trade facilitation, and capacity building, with the overall goal of reducing costs and eliminating obstacles across the entire supply chain.
RFA CEO Gavin Kelly welcomed the partnership, calling it timely and a natural alignment of goals. He emphasized that the road transport industry does not exist in isolation, and any delay at an entry port, manual process by any Other Government Agency (OGA), or bottleneck in compliance directly affects carriers in the supply chain.
Kelly added that the formal alliance with SAFLA expands RFA's lobbying capabilities in the forwarding sector, allowing it to present the government with a unified and coordinated signal regarding trade facilitation priorities, rather than fragmented requests from the industry.
Advocating for the power of a collective voice, Kelly noted: 'Many voices speaking in unison carry much more weight than any single association acting alone. This MoU allows RFA to expand its lobbying scope in a meaningful and credible way.'
SAFLA Executive Director Dave Logan highlighted the necessity of solving practical issues for members of both SAFLA and RFA, as well as the wider South African transport and logistics industry, through coordinated measures. Logan stated that cooperation is essential in freight transport because members operate at the intersection of customs, border management, regulatory compliance, and international trade, facing challenges that no single association can solve.
He also noted that joining forces with RFA creates a platform where the combined weight of memberships can contribute to real and tangible improvements. Logan expressed particular support for the momentum being built through SAFLA's participation in the South African Revenue Service (SARS) Stakeholder Forums, as this MoU deepens those interactions, including the prospects of road transport in discussions with the country's tax authorities.
According to the statement, the MoU defines several priority areas for joint action, including engagement with SARS, digitalization of OGA processes, development of 'Smart Borders,' improving trade facilitation, capacity building, and process mapping. The associations will also establish escalation mechanisms to address systemic issues on behalf of their members. Special emphasis is placed on OGA digitalization and simplifying customs procedures, where inefficiency continues to generate unnecessary compliance costs.
The statement concluded by asserting that smoother processes within OGA and SARS reduce the administrative burden on forwarders and customs brokers, and the resulting savings are passed directly down the supply chain to operators and carriers. For RFA, this link is central to the partnership's value proposition, and the Memorandum will be reviewed annually by senior executives of both associations to ensure the collaboration meets evolving sector needs.
It has been reported that the OnePlus brand will begin ceasing operations in the US and European markets. This move is part of a larger restructuring being carried out by its parent company, Oppo, amid slowing sales and geopolitical difficulties.
According to an informed source who wished to remain anonymous, the cessation of OnePlus operations could begin as early as this week. Although OnePlus will maintain its presence in China, plans are underway to extend the brand's closure to other global regions, including India, sometime in 2027.
Another Oppo mobile business, Realme, will also be leaving the Chinese market. Representatives from Oppo and OnePlus declined to comment on the matter.
The basis for these decisions stems from financial issues within the company's phone divisions, as well as a lack of growth momentum in the US, Europe, and India. Furthermore, there are concerns related to the sale of the Chinese phone brand in the US, as well as a lawsuit from Apple Inc. concerning trade secrets.
As part of the changes, Oppo will concentrate its efforts on Central Europe and will promote Realme devices in the Nordic region, which includes Finland, Denmark, Sweden, and Iceland, where the company has achieved greater success.
Although OnePlus was once a popular player among tech enthusiasts and Android fans, its influence in the smartphone market has significantly weakened in recent years. In the US, Apple and Samsung Electronics Co. dominate, while OnePlus lags far behind smaller competitors such as Motorola from Lenovo Group Ltd. and Google from Alphabet Inc.
Oppo has shown better results in China, although it trails market leaders Huawei Technologies Co. and Apple. Nevertheless, the rising cost of memory and phone prices has led to a decline in smartphone sales. According to IDC data, device shipments in China fell by 4.3% in the second quarter compared to the same period last year.
Component shortages have also complicated the development of budget models for phone manufacturers, which were central to the OnePlus 'Nord' line. Early OnePlus models received positive reviews due to a combination of reliable performance, clean software, and affordable pricing. However, the recent flagship device, the OnePlus 15, faced launch issues in the US, which was delayed due to last year's government shutdown.
