PCB Shortage Sends Electronics Prices Soaring Amid West Asian Conflict

A global shortage of printed circuit boards (PCBs) is causing electronics manufacturers to hike prices. The supply crunch is driven by high demand for advanced artificial intelligence hardware and ongoing geopolitical instability in West Asia, which has disrupted the flow of specialty chemicals required for board production.

The conflict in West Asia has impacted the availability of a specialty chemical previously dominated by Saudi Arabian supply, adding to rising material costs. Low-bromine epoxy resin prices have climbed by approximately 70%, while copper foil and electrolytic copper costs have jumped by more than 30%. These increasing inputs have forced global PCB suppliers to increase their prices by over 20%.

India is trying to capitalize on this situation by accelerating its plans to become a global electronics manufacturing hub. Under the Electronics Components Manufacturing Scheme, companies have committed over ₹15,000 crore to boost domestic capacity. Syrma SGS Technology is among those expanding, with plans for a new PCB facility currently in the pipeline.