Smartphones Become India’s Top Export Category as Overseas Shipments Eye $30 Billion in 2025
India Positions Itself as a Global Smartphone Manufacturing Hub
New Delhi, February 25: Smartphones have emerged as India’s largest export category, with overseas shipments projected to reach $30 billion in calendar year 2025, Union Electronics and IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said on Wednesday.Sharing the update in a social media post titled “Smartphones: India’s No. 1 export category,” the minister highlighted that exports from January to December 2025 are expected to touch $30 billion, underscoring India’s growing prominence in global electronics manufacturing.
“Becoming the world’s smartphone manufacturing hub,” Vaishnaw noted, reflecting the government’s broader push to scale domestic production and exports.
Mobile Phone Production Crosses ₹5.5 Lakh Crore
India’s mobile phone manufacturing continues to expand at a rapid pace. The country produced mobile phones worth ₹5.5 lakh crore, equivalent to approximately $60 billion.In the financial year 2024 to 2025, exports from the mobile phone segment stood at around ₹2 lakh crore, or roughly $22 billion, marking a significant contribution to overall electronics exports.
Total electronics exports from India have already crossed ₹4 lakh crore, equivalent to $44 billion, in 2025. The numbers are expected to rise further once four semiconductor plants begin production later this year, strengthening domestic supply chains and value addition.
Apple, Premium Segment Drive Export Growth
Industry data indicates that premium smartphones are playing a crucial role in boosting export value. Neil Shah, Co Founder and Vice President for Research at Counterpoint, said India is expected to produce nearly 30 million mobile phone units in 2025, with one in four smartphones manufactured in the country estimated to be exported.He noted that higher average selling prices in the premium segment are significantly lifting overall export earnings. Brands such as Apple Inc., Samsung, and Motorola are driving exports in the premium category.
According to the Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker released by International Data Corporation for the third quarter of 2025, Apple recorded its highest ever domestic supply of 5 million iPhones in a single quarter in India.
Premium and Super Premium Segments Lead Domestic Growth
Apple currently leads both the premium smartphone segment, defined as devices priced between ₹53,000 and ₹71,000, and the super premium category, where handsets are priced above ₹71,000.These higher priced segments played a key role in driving the growth of India’s smartphone market during the September quarter, further reinforcing the country’s rising status as both a manufacturing base and a key export hub for high value smartphones.
With production scaling up and exports reaching record levels, smartphones now stand at the forefront of India’s merchandise export basket, signaling a structural shift in the country’s electronics and manufacturing landscape.
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