Make in India Turns 12: India Expands Smartphone Manufacturing Beyond Assembly

Make in India Turns 12: India Expands Smartphone Manufacturing Beyond Assembly

India marked 12 years of the Make in India initiative on September 25, with Electronics and IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw highlighting the expansion of the country’s smartphone manufacturing ecosystem. He said India is now moving beyond assembling phones to producing more components and materials used in them.

According to government data, India is the world’s second-largest mobile phone manufacturer by volume, with more than 330 million mobile phones produced annually. About 99.2% of mobile phones used in India are now manufactured domestically, compared with 26% in 2014-15.

The next focus is deeper localisation. Vaishnaw highlighted domestic production of battery cells and plans to manufacture materials such as synthetic graphite, battery additives and acetylene black. The broader ecosystem is also expanding across cameras, displays, speakers, coils and printed circuit boards.

The government has also notified the Rs 62,500 crore Mobile Phone Manufacturing Scheme for 2026-27 to 2030-31. The scheme aims to increase domestic value addition, strengthen supply chains and support Indian mobile brands, with production incentives ranging from 2.25% to 5% and additional support linked to domestic sourcing and design and R&D.

Government figures show mobile phone production rose from around Rs 18,000 crore in 2014-15 to Rs 6.27 lakh crore in 2025-26.

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