India has risen to become the world’s second-largest mobile manufacturer, growing from just 2 units in 2014 to over 300 operational units nationwide today, Union Minister for Railways and Electronics and IT, Ashwini Vaishnaw, said on Tuesday.
About 99.2 per cent of mobile phones sold in India are now made locally, as the manufacturing value has soared to Rs 4.22 lakh crore, with exports crossing Rs 1.29 lakh crore in 2024.
In 2014-15, only 26 per cent of the mobile phones sold in the country were made in India, with the rest being imported.
More than 325 to 330 million mobile phones are manufactured annually in India, and there are about a billion mobile phones in use across the country, the minister stated.
“Indian mobile phones have virtually saturated the domestic market, and there’s a substantial uptick in the exports of mobile phones. The exports, which were almost non-existent in 2014, have now surpassed Rs 1.29 lakh crore,” Vaishnaw said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Make In India’ vision is helping India become a global manufacturing hub, he noted.
The sector’s expansion has also been a major employment driver, creating approximately 12 lakh direct and indirect jobs over the decade. These employment opportunities have uplifted the economic status of numerous families and contributed to the socio-economic fabric of the country, according to the minister.
The ‘Make in India’ initiative has been pivotal in achieving these milestones, enabling the domestic production of critical components and sub-assemblies such as chargers, battery packs, mechanics of all types, USB cables, and more complex components like Lithium Ion cells, speaker and microphone systems, display assemblies, and camera modules.
“Looking forward, the focus will intensify on advancing deeper into the value chain, particularly in the production of components and semiconductors. This shift is part of a broader strategy to enhance self-reliance and establish India as a leading player in the global electronics market,” Vaishnaw reiterated.
The establishment of a semiconductor manufacturing base has been an important part of the ‘Make in India’ effort, which India has been striving to achieve for over six decades.
With the launch of the India Semiconductor Mission and five major approved projects—including Micron, two projects by Tata Electronics, one by CG Power, and another by Keynes—a real semiconductor manufacturing base is now being established in India.
“From toys to mobile phones, defence equipment to EV motors, production is shifting back to India,” Ashwini Vaishnaw said.
(Inputs from IANS)
