The landscape of India’s electronics manufacturing has undergone a dramatic transformation over the past decade, with mobile phone exports skyrocketing 165 times — from approximately Rs1,500 crore in 2014-15 to an estimated Rs2.59 lakh crore in 2025-26.
These figures, presented by Union Minister for Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw in a written reply to the Lok Sabha on Wednesday, underscore India’s rapid emergence as a formidable global electronics manufacturing hub.
The production numbers tell an equally compelling story. Mobile phone manufacturing in the country has grown roughly 33 times during the same period, climbing from Rs18,000 crore in 2014-15 to a projected Rs6.27 lakh crore in 2025-26.
This exponential growth trajectory reflects not only the success of government-led policy interventions but also the increasing confidence of global manufacturers in India’s capabilities as a production destination.
The surge in mobile phone manufacturing is part of a larger resurgence in India’s electronics sector. Overall electronics production has expanded nearly sevenfold over the decade, rising from about Rs1.9 lakh crore to Rs13.11 lakh crore. Similarly, electronics exports have grown approximately 11 times, from nearly Rs38,000 crore to Rs4.24 lakh crore during the same period.
Vaishnaw emphasised that the government has deployed a suite of targeted policy measures designed to strengthen electronics manufacturing across the entire value chain. These interventions span from component-level production to the more complex domains of semiconductors and memory chips — areas that have historically been dominated by a handful of East Asian nations.
Laying foundation for chip sovereignty
A cornerstone of India’s semiconductor ambitions is the Semicon India Programme, launched in January 2022. Under this initiative, the government is actively supporting the establishment of semiconductor fabrication units, display fabs, semiconductor packaging facilities, and the design of indigenous chips.
The programme represents India’s most concerted effort yet to reduce import dependence and build sovereign capabilities in a sector critical to both economic competitiveness and national security.
On the memory chip front, the minister informed Parliament that two companies are currently operational in India. US-based Micron is manufacturing DRAM, NAND Flash Memory, and Solid State Drives, while Sahasra, an Indian electronics company, is producing NAND Flash Memory.
These developments mark a significant milestone in India’s journey toward becoming a credible player in the global semiconductor supply chain.
Semicon 2.0 push
The government acknowledged that global memory chip supplies have tightened, driven by surging demand from artificial intelligence servers, data centres, and advanced computing applications. This supply-demand imbalance has led to firmer memory chip prices — a trend that further validates the strategic importance of domestic manufacturing capabilities.
Recognising both the opportunities and the challenges ahead, the Union Cabinet has approved Semicon 2.0, an expanded framework to deepen India’s semiconductor ecosystem. The programme is designed to create new opportunities for semiconductor manufacturing, chip design, and related ancillary industries, while addressing both domestic consumption needs and global market demand.
Vaishnaw reiterated that these initiatives are ultimately geared toward building a resilient electronics manufacturing ecosystem and advancing the broader vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat — a self-reliant India.