India’s Mobile Phone Exports Soar 127x to ₹2 Lakh Crore in a Decade
Mobile phone exports have increased 127 times in the last ten years, from ₹1,500 crore in 2014–15 to an incredible ₹2 lakh crore in 2024–25, which is a great indication of India’s increasing dominance in the global electronics market. In a written response to the Lok Sabha on July 23, 2025, Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology Jitin Prasada announced this groundbreaking accomplishment, highlighting the effectiveness of the government’s Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) program. In addition to making India the second-largest mobile phone manufacturing hub in the world, the initiative has reduced the nation’s dependency on imports from 75% in 2014–15 to just 0.02% in 2024–25, signaling a significant shift toward self-reliance under the “Make in India” and “Atmanirbhar Bharat” campaigns.
Launched in 2020 under the National Policy on Electronics (NPE) 2019, the PLI Scheme for Large-Scale Electronics Manufacturing (LSEM) has revolutionized the industry. By June 2025, it had brought in a total of ₹12,390 crore in investment, resulting in ₹8,44,752 crore in production and ₹4,65,809 crore in exports. Global behemoths like Apple and Samsung, which account for 94% of India’s smartphone exports, have led the charge in the scheme’s creation of 1,30,330 direct jobs. With a 54% increase in iPhone shipments in 2024–2025, Apple alone contributed ₹1.5 lakh crore to the export total. Smartphones are now India’s top export commodity, surpassing more established leaders like diamonds and petroleum, thanks to their exponential growth, which also shows how integrated the country is into global supply chains.
The PLI scheme’s contribution to increasing domestic manufacturing is highlighted by the sharp decline in import dependency, which went from 75% to 0.02%. With a 28-fold increase in output from ₹18,000 crore to ₹5.45 lakh crore over the course of the decade, India no longer depends as much on imported mobile phones as it did in 2014–15. This expansion was further supported by the PLI Scheme 2.0 for IT hardware, which by June 2025 had attracted investments totaling ₹717.13 crore, produced ₹12,195.84 crore, and created 5,056 direct jobs. India’s appeal as a global manufacturing destination is highlighted by the $4,071 million in total foreign direct investment (FDI) in electronics manufacturing since 2020–21, of which $2,802 million came from PLI beneficiaries.
The PLI scheme’s contribution to increasing domestic manufacturing is highlighted by the sharp decline in import dependency, which went from 75% to 0.02%. With a 28-fold increase in output from ₹18,000 crore to ₹5.45 lakh crore over the course of the decade, India no longer depends as much on imported mobile phones as it did in 2014–15. This expansion was further supported by the PLI Scheme 2.0 for IT hardware, which by June 2025 had attracted investments totaling ₹717.13 crore, produced ₹12,195.84 crore, and created 5,056 direct jobs. India’s appeal as a global manufacturing destination is highlighted by the $4,071 million in total foreign direct investment (FDI) in electronics manufacturing since 2020–21, of which $2,802 million came from PLI beneficiaries.
India’s ascent to prominence in mobile manufacturing is a sign of economic opportunity for companies, investors, and policymakers. India is now a net exporter, setting a global standard, thanks to the PLI scheme’s success and programs like the National Industrial Corridor Development Programme. This accomplishment lays the groundwork for a strong, independent electronics industry as the country innovates and grows.
Watch this space for updates on India’s progress in electronics manufacturing and how it affects international trade.
