Walton starts export of its locally made laptop

Economic Reporter: The ‘Made in Bangladesh’ labeled Walton laptops is going to hit the Nigeria’s ICT market. As a first company in Bangladesh, the local electronics giant Walton is exporting locally made laptops. By which, Bangladesh has been emerged as a laptop exporting country and thus the name of Bangladesh is going to be enlisted in the list of laptop exporting country.

To this extent, an inaugural ceremony of Walton laptop exportation was held at the conference room of the Ministry of Finance at the Secretariat in the capital on Wednesday (March 21, 2018).

Finance Minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith attended the function as the chief guest while Minister of Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology Mustafa Jabbar and State Minister for Information and Communication Technology Zunaid Ahmed Palak were the special guests.



To export locally made laptops to Nigeria, Walton inked an agreement with Western Base Nig. Ltd. in the function.

Chairman of Walton Digi-Tech Industries Limited SM Rezaul Alam and Director of Western Base Nig. Ltd. David Nwune inked the export deal on behalf of their respective companies. Chairman of Walton Hi-Tech Industries Limited SM Shamsul Alam also attended the event.

Initially, Walton is exporting 500 laptops to Nigeria, one of the economically enriched countries in the African region.

Greeting Walton on booming the local electronics manufacturing industry by utilizing the government’s policy supports, Finance Minister AMA Muhith said, Walton could be a role model to other entrepreneurs. They are earning goodwill at home and abroad through manufacturing world-class electronics, electrical and ICT products, he said.

Although Walton started its journey about one decade ago by assembling fridges and air-conditioners, they turned themselves into a local manufacturing industry of hi-tech products within a short time, he said.

They are now manufacturing compressors and laptops like hi-tech products within the country, Muhith said adding, the bold initiative of Walton in setting up the country’s first-ever computer manufacturing industry paved the way for Bangladesh in emerging as a laptop exporting country.



The today’s initiative of exporting ‘Made in Bangladesh’ labeled Walton laptops to Nigeria will expedite the boom of local ICT industry, the finance minister noted.

Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology Minister Mustafa Jabbar said, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has a dream that someday laptop computer will be manufactured in Bangladesh and the ‘Made in Bangladesh’ labeled laptop computer will be exported to different countries of the world.
Today, Walton made her the dream true through starting export of its locally made world-class laptops, he said.

Information and Communication Technology’s State Minister Zunaid Ahmed Palak said, the success of Walton in manufacturing international standard hi-tech products in Bangladesh would be a role model to other local and international companies. 

“Walton is now performing a partnership role in establishing ‘Digital Bangladesh,” Palak said.

Mentionable, the country’s entire computer and laptop market was fully import- dependent. But, the formulation of supportive policies and guidelines by the present government towards the flourish of local ICT industry is not only reduced the import-dependency of the local computer market by encouraging the country’s entrepreneurs in setting up local ICT industry.

Walton officially inaugurated the country’s first-ever computer manufacturing unit at Walton Digi-Tech Industries in Chandra, Gazipur on January 18, 2018.

The newly built Walton computer manufacturing unit has capacity of manufacturing 60,000 laptops, 30,000 desktops and 30,000 monitors annually.

Apart from Nigeria, Walton has already received an export order from Nepal.

The shipment of Walton laptops to Nepal will be placed very soon. In addition, the procedure of exporting locally made laptops to Bhutan and East Timor are also in the final stage.
 

risingbd/Dhaka/March 21, 2018/Augustin Sujon/A K Azad