Manufacturing RAM a reality now – Walton makes it happen

Bangladeshi electronics manufacturer Walton is now producing RAM (Random Access Memory) – a very important computer accessory – for the first time in the country.

Walton already manufactures mobile phones, laptops and desktop computers.

The production process of RAM at the Walton Digi-Tech Industries at Chandra in Gazipur was inaugurated on Tuesday through a video conference from the NEC auditorium in Dhaka's Agargaon.

Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal, Post and Telecommunications Minister Mustafa Jabbar, and State Minister for Information and Communication Technology Zunaid Ahmed Palak were present at the inauguration. Walton Digi-Tech Chairman SM Rezaul Alam and Managing Director SM Monjurul Alam Ovee were also present.

Liakat Ali, project in-charge of Walton computer, said Walton RAM will be marketed along with Walton computers this month. Walton's RAM will be exported as well after meeting the local demands, he added.

Currently, Walton is producing RAMs with capacity of 4GB, 8GB and 16GB and BUS speed of 2,400 and 2,666 megahertz.

Speaking on the occasion, Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal said, "We do not want to miss the Fourth Industrial Revolution which is based on the Internet. This initiative of Walton will take Bangladesh one step forward in the era of Fourth Industrial Revolution."

Other companies will also come forward and contribute to the sector following in the footsteps of Walton, he said.

Mustafa Jabbar said, "We could not dream about manufacturing RAMs even 10 years ago. Now we are producing RAMs along with other digital devices like desktops and laptops. We are no longer at the receiving end – in future, Bangladesh will export digital devices.

"Once we demanded reduction of VAT and import duty on computer components. Now time has come to increase VAT and import duty on computing products as local manufacturers are making those items here."

State Minister Zunaid Ahmed Palak said the government in 2017-18 fiscal year decreased import duty on 94 mobile, computer and other IT components to help the local IT industry grow.

"You see, Walton is manufacturing around four lakh mobile devices per year," he said.  

Walton Digi-Tech Industries Chairman SM Rezaul Alam said by 2030, Walton wants to be named as one of the biggest computer manufacturing companies like Dell, Asus, and HP.  

Liakat Ali, project in-charge of Walton computer, said his organisation is also planning to manufacture computer processors.

He expressed hope Walton's initiative will inspire other manufacturers to come forward and establish Bangladesh as a global technology brand.