India targets October 2028 for a homegrown smartphone brand, with Ashwini Vaishnaw citing domestic PCB design capabilities and a 5G-plus handset developed for a US telecom provider as steps towards Indian-owned design and IP.
India is targeting October 23, 2028, to launch a homegrown smartphone brand featuring Indian design, manufacturing and intellectual property (IP), Union Minister for Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw announced at the NDTV World Summit in Delhi. The initiative aims to compete with established brands such as Apple and Samsung, marking a push beyond contract manufacturing towards Indian-owned product design and IP.
Vaishnaw said government-backed design challenges had helped build domestic smartphone engineering capabilities. Approximately three years ago, the government challenged Indian designers to develop smartphone motherboards, or printed circuit boards (PCBs). Two domestic companies developed designs, with one reportedly selected by a major US telecommunications service provider.
According to the minister, the company subsequently designed, manufactured and delivered a 5G-plus mobile phone to customers through the US provider. He attributed the development of this capability to around three and a half years of work. However, the companies involved and the handset’s production volumes remain undisclosed.
Developing a competitive smartphone requires integrating radio-frequency communication systems, antennas, computing hardware, memory, passive components, camera modules, displays and power-management systems within a compact form factor. Managing space, weight and power consumption adds to the engineering complexity.
The initiative aims to retain Indian design capabilities and IP within the country, potentially allowing domestic companies to capture greater value beyond assembly and manufacturing. However, the announcement does not establish that all components will be manufactured locally or that a complete domestic supply chain is in place.
India’s expanding electronics sector provides a broader industrial base for this ambition. The Economic Survey 2025–26 reported that electronics rose from the country’s seventh-largest export category in FY22 to the third-largest in FY25. Mobile manufacturing production value increased from ₹18,000 crore in FY15 to ₹5.45 lakh crore in FY25.
The October 2028 date remains a target. The proposed brand, handset specifications, pricing and production plans have not been disclosed.
