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I understand taxing an optional luxury item like iPhone to encourage local manufacturing, with all the cheap phones available it won't affect the common man too

I understand taxing an optional luxury item like iPhone to encourage local manufacturing, with all the cheap phones available it won't affect the common man too much. But the government here is bent on taxing everything as much as possible. Eg: The Prime Minister keeps harping about "Digital India" but computer components and laptops have an import duty of 80-100%. Does he have the money to build a fab in India ? Hell no, but tax processors at 80%. Talks about "Artiphisial Intelligence" in his speech and annual budget, but taxes GPUs at 80-100%. The rich and middle class have workarounds for these duties by asking friends and family to bring them things from US, but its the poor who's children suffer the most. Poverty is not a problem in India, its a design feature, keep people poor and stupid, loot them all you want. Most people who have the resources or skill to leave India are doing it anyway. Policies like these will only serve to expedite it. This country will likely be next Venezuela. PS: This is not a political statement against the present government, every political party here has done and will continue with this stupidity.

teachrdan 6y ago
> its the poor who's children suffer the most Honest question: How do the poor (and their children) "suffer the most" from taxes on GPUs and iPhones?
- teatree 6y ago
  Govt and low cost schools have outdated or sometimes no computers at all. Internet is the best means of learning today, they are deprived of it. Heck even top universities don't have good infrastructure in India. Our maid's daughter wants to take up CS after high school, she saw us working on laptops from a young age I guess, but her mother cannot afford to pay for college fees + a laptop + broadband. India's silicon valley, Bangalore, cannot provide its residents uninterrupted power 24x7 in 2020, villages are lucky to get 5 hours of power a day. Can you believe large tech parks in Bangalore run on Diesel generators ? There are hardly a few datacenters and associated jobs in India, reason - hardware and bandwidth is prohibitively expensive, cause - taxation. Think of all the small jobs that would be created in the surrounding ecosystem (foodcarts, cafes) When the govt only talks and doesn't walk the walk, most high skilled Indians leave country due to lack of opportunities, not only would their spending create jobs more importantly it drains the country of mentors for the young. China is going head to head with the US in AI and world class software products, despite their handicap in English, where is India ?
  - naruvimama 6y ago
    In Tamilnadu the government schools provide free laptops to students. India is ripe for electronics manufacturing and the government policy is inline with their goals.

teachrdan 6y ago

> its the poor who's children suffer the most Honest question: How do the poor (and their children) "suffer the most" from taxes on GPUs and iPhones?

teatree 6y ago
Govt and low cost schools have outdated or sometimes no computers at all. Internet is the best means of learning today, they are deprived of it. Heck even top universities don't have good infrastructure in India. Our maid's daughter wants to take up CS after high school, she saw us working on laptops from a young age I guess, but her mother cannot afford to pay for college fees + a laptop + broadband. India's silicon valley, Bangalore, cannot provide its residents uninterrupted power 24x7 in 2020, villages are lucky to get 5 hours of power a day. Can you believe large tech parks in Bangalore run on Diesel generators ? There are hardly a few datacenters and associated jobs in India, reason - hardware and bandwidth is prohibitively expensive, cause - taxation. Think of all the small jobs that would be created in the surrounding ecosystem (foodcarts, cafes) When the govt only talks and doesn't walk the walk, most high skilled Indians leave country due to lack of opportunities, not only would their spending create jobs more importantly it drains the country of mentors for the young. China is going head to head with the US in AI and world class software products, despite their handicap in English, where is India ?
- naruvimama 6y ago
  In Tamilnadu the government schools provide free laptops to students. India is ripe for electronics manufacturing and the government policy is inline with their goals.