India’s smartphone exports have seen a significant rise, crossing ₹1.75 lakh crore ($21 billion) in the first 11 months of FY 2024-25 (April-February). This marks a 54% increase compared to the same period in FY 2023-24, according to the latest industry data.
Exports Surpass Projections
Union Minister for Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw had earlier projected smartphone exports to reach $20 billion (₹1.68 lakh crore) in 2024-25. However, the country exceeded this estimate within just 11 months, according to the India Cellular and Electronics Association (ICEA).
PLI Scheme Boosts Exports
India’s smartphone and electronics exports have been accelerating due to the government’s Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme. This initiative has successfully attracted global tech giants like Apple, which has been expanding its supply chain beyond China amid US sanctions on the country.
The PLI scheme has also reduced India’s dependency on mobile imports, with domestic production now fulfilling 99% of the country’s demand.
Apple Leads the Export Market
Apple’s iPhone supply chain contributed around 70% of India’s smartphone exports.
- Foxconn’s Tamil Nadu factory accounted for nearly 50% of the shipments, with a 40% jump in exports compared to last year.
- Tata Electronics, which recently acquired Wistron’s Karnataka plant, contributed 22% of the exports.
- Pegatron’s Tamil Nadu facility, now 60% owned by Tata Electronics, contributed 12%.
With these acquisitions, Tata Group has emerged as a major iPhone producer in India.
Samsung, the South Korean smartphone giant, accounted for 20% of India’s total smartphone exports.
PLI Scheme’s Impact on Job Creation and Investment
The PLI scheme for electronics manufacturing has led to an investment of ₹10,213 crore (as of December 2024) and has created over 1.37 lakh direct jobs. Under this scheme, cumulative production has reached ₹6,62,247 crore.
Union Minister of State for Electronics and IT, Jitin Prasada, informed Parliament that India has transformed from a mobile phone importer to an exporter since 2014-15.
Smartphone Manufacturing Growth in India
- Mobile phone production has increased from 60 million units in 2014-15 to 330 million in 2023-24, a fivefold increase in a decade.
- In value terms, production has grown from ₹19,000 crore in 2014-15 to ₹4,22,000 crore in 2023-24, at a CAGR of 41%.
- Mobile phone exports have surged from ₹22,868 crore in 2020-21 to ₹1,29,074 crore in 2023-24, growing at a CAGR of 78%.
- In 2015, 74% of mobile phones sold in India were imported. Now, 99.2% of handsets used in India are locally made.
Conclusion
India’s smartphone export boom, backed by the PLI scheme and global shifts in supply chains, is positioning the country as a major player in the global mobile phone market. With continued investments, India is set to further strengthen its role in electronics manufacturing.
