India’s smartphone exports have reached an all-time high of $18.31 billion in the first ten months of FY 2024–25, positioning smartphones as the country’s top export commodity by value, adding to the list of achievements for ‘Make in India’. This achievement highlights the success of the government’s Make in India initiative and the productivity-linked incentive (PLI) scheme in boosting the electronics manufacturing sector.
According to data released by the Department of Commerce, smartphone exports between April 2024 and January 2025 witnessed an unprecedented 54.7% year-on-year growth, up from $11.83 billion during the same period in FY 2023–24. This surge has propelled smartphones ahead of traditional heavyweights like automotive diesel fuel ($16.04 billion), diamonds, and aviation turbine fuel.
Back in 2014, smartphones ranked 167th on the list of India’s export products. The transformation over the past decade highlights the strategic impact of policy support, infrastructure development, and investment facilitation under the ‘Make in India’ program. One of the significant factors is ramped-up shipments to the United States, particularly in anticipation of global tariff tensions, especially Apple’s iPhones. Exports of iPhones to the U.S. soared by 208%, reaching $1.63 billion, while overall smartphone exports to the U.S. stood at $6.6 billion, registering a 64% increase from the previous year.
Union Minister of Electronics and Information Technology, Ashwini Vaishnaw, applauded this achievement, stating, “Smartphone exports have achieved a new record of Rs 2 lakh crore, making mobile phones among the top exported goods from India. This represents a 54 per cent growth over FY 2023-24, with iPhone exports alone accounting for approximately Rs 1.5 lakh crore.”
The government’s push to domestically produce capital equipment is further expected to enhance India’s self-reliance in electronics and strengthen its role in the global supply chain. The achievement of crossing Rs 2 lakh crore in smartphone exports is a remarkable testament to India’s growing dominance in the global electronics market. As India continues to scale up its manufacturing capabilities, the momentum signals a promising future for the country’s ambitions in the global supply chain for electronics and technology.
