Made in India Smartphone Shipments Rise 8% On-Year in 2025

Made in India Smartphone Shipments Rise 8% On-Year in 2025

ET Telecom (Economic Times)
ET Telecom (Economic Times)Apr 23, 2026

Why It Matters

The growth underscores India’s emergence as a global smartphone manufacturing hub, attracting major OEMs and reshaping export dynamics in a market facing memory‑price pressures and geopolitical risks.

Key Takeaways

  • Made‑in‑India shipments grew 8% YoY in 2025
  • Exports rose 28% YoY, now one‑third of output
  • Foxconn export volume up 48%, driven by Apple
  • Dixon Technologies share climbed to 19%
  • BPL entered top five with 9% market share

Pulse Analysis

India’s smartphone ecosystem is entering a new phase of scale, with 2025 shipments of locally assembled devices climbing 8% year‑on‑year. The catalyst has been a 28% jump in exports, propelled by strong demand from the United States, which imported $19.68 billion of Indian‑made phones—a near‑doubling from the prior fiscal year. Government incentives under the Production‑Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme, launched in 2020 and concluding in March 2026, have lowered cost barriers and encouraged OEMs to set up or expand assembly lines, positioning India as a credible alternative to traditional Asian hubs.

The competitive landscape is shifting. Foxconn’s export volumes surged 48%, largely due to Apple shipments, while Tata Electronics and Samsung recorded modest export gains. Homegrown assembler Dixon Technologies boosted its share to 19% by securing contracts with Motorola, Realme and Xiaomi, displacing Samsung’s 2‑point share decline. Notably, Bhagwati Products Limited cracked the top‑five tier with a 9% share after Chinese brand Vivo outsourced production, highlighting how supply‑chain diversification is reshaping market hierarchies. These dynamics suggest that Indian EMS players are not only serving domestic demand but are becoming integral to global OEM strategies.

Looking ahead, the sector faces headwinds. Rising DRAM and NAND memory prices could compress margins, and geopolitical tensions—such as the ongoing US‑Iran conflict—pose logistics risks. Analysts recommend that manufacturers broaden their product mix into tablets and laptops to mitigate memory‑price volatility, leveraging India’s nascent export capabilities in these segments. Faster approvals for joint ventures under Press Note 3 will be crucial for technology transfer and sustaining the export momentum beyond the PLI era, ensuring India’s continued ascent in the global smartphone supply chain.

Made in India smartphone shipments rise 8% on-year in 2025

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