India is world’s second largest mobilephone maker: Vaishnaw

India is now the world's second largest mobile phone manufacturer and has 300 units operational nationwide in the sector, Union Minister for Electronics and Information Technology (MeITY) Ashwini Vaishnaw has said.

The minister, in a series of posts on X, said “99.2 per cent of mobile phones sold in India are now made locally. In 2014 -15, only 26 per cent of the mobile phones which were being sold in India were made in India, the rest were being imported”.

In 2014, India had only two mobile manufacturing units, but fast forward to today, the nation boasts over 300 manufacturing units, underscoring a significant expansion in this vital sector, he said.

Has over 300 manufacturing units

 

In 2014, India had only two mobile manufacturing units, but fast forward to today, the nation boasts over 300 manufacturing units, underscoring a significant expansion in this vital sector... the manufacturing value of mobilephones has surged from ₹18,900 crore in 2014 to Rs 4,22,000 crore in 2024.

-- Ashwini Vaishnaw, Union Minister for Electronics and Information Technology

The manufacturing value of mobilephones has surged from ₹18,900 crore in 2014 to Rs 4,22,000 crore in 2024. Exports crossed Rs 1,29,000 crore in 2024, he added.

More than 325 to 330 million mobilephones a year are being manufactured in India On an average, there are about a billion mobilephones in use in India. The 'Make in India' has driven the domestic production of key electronics items ranging from chargers, battery packs to camera modules, displays, USB cables, complex components like lithium ion cells, speakers and microphones.

"India is shifting gears by deepening the value chain of manufacturing with a strong focus on the development of semiconductor chips and finer components," a statement of the MeITY said.

The sector's expansion has also been a major employment driver, creating approximately 12 lakh direct and indirect jobs over the decade. The Prime Minister’s ‘Make In India’ vision is helping the country become a global manufacturing hub. The 'Make in India' programme within a decade of its launch is not only driving our self-reliance, and boosting production but also creating jobs, Vaishnaw said. From toys to mobile phones, defence equipment to EV motors, production is shifting back to India, he added.