For decades, India’s electronics market told a familiar story. Smartphones, televisions, chips, and components largely arrived from factories overseas, while Indian consumers remained dependent on imports for everyday technology. Electronic products were bought, used, and replaced but rarely made within the country. That reality has now changed in a way few would have imagined a decade ago. In 2025, India achieved its highest-ever electronics exports, touching a record USD 47 billion. What was once an import-heavy sector has transformed into one of the country’s strongest export engines. The milestone is not just about numbers; it marks a shift in mindset India is no longer just a market for electronics, but a serious global manufacturing hub.

A Record Year That Redefined India’s Export Landscape

Union Minister for Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw announced the achievement through a social media post, calling it a major success of India’s manufacturing push. Electronics has now become India’s third-largest export sector, standing alongside traditional heavyweights like petroleum and gems and jewellery. Of the USD 47 billion in exports recorded in 2025, nearly USD 30 billion came from smartphones manufactured under the Production Linked Incentive scheme. The scale of this contribution highlights how focused policy interventions can rapidly change the fortunes of an entire industry.

Electronics Growth by the Numbers

India’s electronics export journey over the past decade has been nothing short of dramatic. In 2014–15, electronics exports stood at just Rs 0.38 lakh crore. By 2024–25, this figure surged to Rs 3.3 lakh crore—an almost 11-fold increase. During the same period, electronics production rose six times, from Rs 1.9 lakh crore to Rs 11.3 lakh crore. Exports grew at an even faster pace nearly eight times in 11 years signalling that India was not just producing more for domestic consumption but competing aggressively in global markets. This growth has positioned electronics as a critical pillar of India’s economic expansion.

How the PLI Scheme Changed the Game

At the heart of this transformation lies the Production Linked Incentive scheme for Large Scale Electronics Manufacturing. By linking incentives directly to production output, the government encouraged companies to scale quickly, invest heavily, and manufacture competitively within India. According to the government, the scheme has attracted investments worth over Rs 13,475 crore so far. Production under the scheme has already crossed Rs 9.8 lakh crore. The result has been a surge in smartphone manufacturing and exports, with global and Indian players expanding capacity at an unprecedented speed. The success of the PLI model demonstrated that policy certainty and scale-focused incentives could bridge the gap between ambition and execution.

Smartphones Lead India’s Electronics Revolution

Smartphones have been the driving force behind India’s electronics export boom. Today, India is the second-largest mobile manufacturing country in the world. The number of mobile manufacturing units has risen from just two in 2014–15 to nearly 300 today. As a result, 99.2 per cent of mobile phones sold in India are now ‘Made in India’. Mobile phone production increased from Rs 0.18 lakh crore to Rs 5.5 lakh crore, while exports jumped from a negligible Rs 0.01 lakh crore to Rs 2 lakh crore. These figures reflect how ‘Make in India’ moved from slogan to factory floor reality.

Why India’s Electronics Story Matters Globally

India’s electronics success is significant not just for domestic reasons, but for the global economy. As supply chains diversify due to geopolitical shifts and rising costs elsewhere, India is emerging as a reliable alternative. Global companies are increasingly confident in India’s manufacturing capabilities, while Indian firms are proving they can compete on quality and scale. “This is the ‘Make in India’ impact story,” Ashwini Vaishnaw said, summing up a decade-long transformation driven by policy support, industry participation, and workforce skill. As factories expand, supply chains deepen, and skills strengthen, India’s electronics sector is set to play an even bigger role in the nation’s economic future. The story of electronics exports is ultimately the story of India learning to build, believe, and compete with confidence in a connected world.