Record ₹150,000 crore in mobile exports, a new milestone

According to India Cellular and Electronics Association (ICEA), India’s mobile phone exports surged past ₹25,000 crore in January 2025, a historic milestone that eclipsed the total exports of ₹22,868 crore recorded during FY 2020-21. This unprecedented performance underscores the transformative impact of the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme, which has redefined India’s electronics manufacturing landscape.

Since the launch of the PLI scheme, mobile phone production in India has doubled—from ₹2,20,000 crore in FY23-24 to ₹4,22,000 crore—marking an unprecedented achievement. Looking ahead, production is set to reach an estimated ₹5,10,000 crore in FY24-25, further cementing India’s emergence as a global manufacturing powerhouse.

With India rapidly becoming a key player in mobile phone manufacturing, India Cellular and Electronics Association (ICEA) projects mobile phone exports could exceed approximately ₹1,80,000 crore in FY24-25. This represents approximately 40% growth over the previous fiscal year, crossing ₹1,29,000 crore and an estimated over 680% growth since the inception of the PLI scheme in FY20-21. Mobile phones export is the largest growth driver within electronics, with the U.S. standing out as a key market for India’s smartphones.

Pankaj Mohindroo, Chairman of ICEA, emphasized the need to build on this momentum, “We have reached a substantial scale, driven by strong government support and our industry’s robust capability. Moving forward, we will focus on nurturing competitiveness, expanding scale, and strengthening our supply chain. The next phase will involve aggressive integration with the value chain to boost domestic value addition, driving us toward achieving India’s ambitious $500 billion electronics manufacturing target and our vision of becoming the largest exporter of smartphones globally.”

He further added, “We cannot afford to be complacent—our journey has only just begun. There are immense opportunities still to be harnessed, and with the rapidly evolving geopolitical landscape, our window of opportunity is short. We must take decisive steps forward.”

This remarkable achievement is a product of a synergistic partnership between a proactive government and an industry that has consistently proven its mettle by producing globally competitive smartphones. Smartphones are now poised to become India’s top export commodity for the first time in history—a testament to an unprecedented turnaround in our independent manufacturing capabilities.

ICEA credits this success to robust government policy interventions, a resilient ecosystem of global and domestic manufacturers, and an unwavering commitment to innovation and excellence. As India accelerates its journey toward becoming a global electronics hub, the PLI scheme is driving high-value exports, creating jobs, and setting the stage for India to lead the world in mobile phone manufacturing.

Industry Estimates

CT Bureau