GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 26th June: India’s mobile phone exports have witnessed a robust 74% year-on-year surge in May 2025, reaching over ₹26,559 crore (US$ 3.09 billion), as per industry data shared with the government. This marks the second-highest monthly export figure ever, just behind March’s all-time high of ₹26,645 crore (US$ 3.1 billion).
The May boost was driven in large part by Apple’s shipments to the United States, aimed at building inventory before new tariffs take effect. In the first two months of FY26, India’s mobile exports have already crossed ₹47,273 crore (US$ 5.5 billion) — reflecting 41% growth compared to the same period in FY25.
Monthly exports have consistently remained above ₹17,000 crore since October 2024, underlining sustained momentum. For instance, April 2025 recorded exports worth ₹20,628 crore (US$ 2.4 billion), a 62% jump over April last year.
The rise is strongly attributed to the Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme, which, along with the Phased Manufacturing Programme (PMP), has transformed India from an import-dependent mobile phone market to a manufacturing powerhouse. In 2014, 78% of mobile phones sold in India were imported. By 2023, 99.2% were made domestically, signalling a dramatic turnaround.
Apple’s three contract manufacturers — Foxconn Hon Hai, Pegatron, and Wistron (now Tata Electronics) — continue to drive the lion’s share of export volumes.
Thanks to this surge, electronics has now become India’s third-largest export category, trailing only engineering goods and petroleum products. Electronics exports in April–May FY26 hit ₹70,995 crore (US$ 8.26 billion) — a 47.2% increase, making it the fastest-growing segment among India’s top 30 export sectors.
Notably, mobile phones accounted for 67% of all electronics exports in the April–May period of FY26, up from 59% during the same time last year.
While India still lags behind global leaders China and Vietnam in electronics exports, the success of its smartphone PLI scheme signals its rising stature in the global electronics supply chain.
