India’s smartphone exports reached Rs 25,000 crore ($3 billion) in January 2025, marking a 140% increase compared to the same month in the previous year, according to industry estimates. The surge was driven by increased overseas shipments from major technology companies, including Apple and Samsung.
For the April-January period of the current financial year, total smartphone exports stood at Rs 1.55 lakh crore, representing a 56% rise from Rs 99,120 crore in the corresponding period of the previous fiscal year.
Apple’s supply chain played a significant role, contributing approximately 70% of total exports. Tamil Nadu-based Foxconn accounted for nearly 50% of these shipments, experiencing a 43% increase in exports compared to the previous year. Additionally, Tata Electronics, which acquired Wistron’s smartphone manufacturing facility in Karnataka, contributed 22% of exports. The Pegatron facility in Tamil Nadu, in which Tata Electronics acquired a 60% stake, accounted for 12% of exports. These developments have positioned Tata Group as a key player in India’s smartphone production landscape.
Meanwhile, Samsung contributed around 20% of India’s total smartphone exports.
India’s electronics exports, led by smartphones, have expanded in recent years, supported by the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme. The program has encouraged global technology firms to develop supply chains in India.
Minister for Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw projected that smartphone exports could reach $20 billion (Rs 1.68 lakh crore) in the 2024-25 financial year.
According to data presented in Parliament, the PLI scheme has attracted a cumulative investment of Rs 10,213 crore as of December 2024, generating over 1.37 lakh direct jobs. Under this initiative, cumulative production of Rs 6,62,247 crore has been achieved.
Union Minister of State for Electronics and IT Jitin Prasada recently stated that India has transitioned from being a mobile phone importer in 2014-15 to a mobile phone exporter today. Mobile phone production has risen from 60 million units in 2014-15 to 330 million units in 2023-24, reflecting a fivefold increase over the past decade.
In value terms, mobile phone production grew from Rs 19,000 crore in 2014-15 to Rs 4,22,000 crore in 2023-24, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 41%. Mobile phone exports under the PLI scheme increased from Rs 22,868 crore in 2020-21 to Rs 1,29,074 crore in 2023-24, recording a CAGR of 78%.
Furthermore, the reliance on imported mobile phones has significantly declined. While 74% of mobile phones sold in India in 2015 were imported, currently, 99.2% of mobile handsets used in India are manufactured domestically.
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