Coronavirus, the recent terror outbreak in China, has led the entire world in fear. The world economy is hugely shaken due to this virus outbreak which has already killed hundreds of lives in China. The saddest truth is that till now, none of the nations has been able to come up with any kind of remedy and there is no other way than to watch lives ending mercilessly.
This thought has raised huge concerns among the Smartphone manufacturers in India, who have urged the Indian Government to clarify on the point whether there is any risk of the Coronavirus contamination if Chinese components are used in the smartphone manufacturer. Indian manufacturers import Chinese components costing around Rs 7,000 to 8,000 crores every month; therefore, they may be more prone to this lethal virus attack.
The companies that manufacture smartphones for Apple, Xiaomi, Nokia, Oppo, and Vivo are the ones who are more concerned about their safety because these companies use Chinese components in the manufacturing of their phones. Commenting on this, Pankaj Mohindroo, the Chairman of ICEA or the Indian Cellular & Electronics Association, said,
We have written to telecom secretary Anshu Prakash and MeitY (Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology) secretary Ajay Prakash Sawhney to take up this matter with the health department and to issue a clarification.
An immediate advisory letter from the CDC or the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, however, pacified the situation to some extent.
It said,
in general, because of poor survivability of coronaviruses on surfaces, there is likely very low risk of spread from products or packaging that are shipped over a period of days or weeks at ambient temperatures. There is no evidence to support transmission of 2019-nCoV associated with imported goods.
However, it does not nullify the risk of Coronavirus transmission at all.
Indian smartphone and electronics companies could face possible launch delays and production cuts, which will, in turn, cause the prices of smartphones and other electronic devices to spurt high. Therefore, the Indian smartphone companies are urging the Indian government to take immediate action in clarifying the matter, as to whether the virus can be spread through inanimate objects like devices, components, and machinery imported from China.