Past oil and diamonds, India’s smartphone exports soar, as US and Japan drive a fivefold rise in three years, powered by Apple, Samsung, and a government push.
India’s smartphone exports have seen a dramatic rise, overtaking long-dominant exports like petroleum products and diamonds for the first time. According to data cited by The Economic Times, smartphone shipments jumped 55% to $24.14 billion in 2024–25, up from $15.57 billion in 2023–24 and $10.96 billion in 2022–23.
This growth has positioned smartphones as one of India’s top exported products.
The US emerged as the largest growth market, with Indian smartphone exports climbing from $2.16 billion in 2022–23 to $5.57 billion in 2023–24, and further to $10.6 billion in 2024–25. Japan also witnessed a significant rise, with exports surging from $120 million to $520 million over the same period.
The Netherlands, Italy, and the Czech Republic were also among the top five countries contributing to the surge in exports during the last fiscal year.
A senior commerce ministry official attributed this performance to strong policy support. As per his statement, the production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme, designed to boost domestic manufacturing, has been key in attracting investment and integrating India into global supply chains.
Global tech giants Apple and Samsung played a central role in this trend, accounting for nearly 94% of India’s smartphone exports in 2024, according to Counterpoint Research’s ‘Make in India’ Service report.
The report highlighted that made-in-India smartphone shipments grew 6% year-on-year in 2024, driven largely by export demand from these two manufacturers. Both companies have expanded their local manufacturing bases significantly in recent years.
Looking ahead, industry analysts expect smartphone manufacturing in India to grow at double-digit rates in 2025. Local value addition is also projected to increase as India strengthens its position in global electronics supply chains.
