India exported Rs 1.5 lakh crore worth of mobiles in Jan 2025: ICEA

NEW DELHI: India’s mobile phone manufacturing industry has hit an all-time high, with exports skyrocketing to Rs 1.5 lakh crore in January 2025, up from Rs 22,868 crore in the fiscal year 2021, highlighting the impact of the government’s Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme.
The India Cellular and Electronics Association (ICEA) said mobile phone production has also surged, doubling from Rs 2.2 lakh crore in FY24 to Rs 4.22 lakh crore, with projections indicating a further rise to Rs 5.1 lakh crore in the financial year 2025.
The ICEA has forecasted that mobile phone exports could reach around Rs 1.8 lakh crore in FY25, a 40 per cent increase from the previous fiscal year, which saw exports surpass Rs 1.29 lakh crore. Since the launch of the PLI scheme in FY21, exports have seen an impressive growth of more than 680 per cent.
With mobile phone exports driving growth in the electronics sector, the US has emerged as a key market for India’s smartphones, the ICEA said.
Pankaj Mohindroo, chairman of the ICEA, emphasised the importance of building on this momentum.
“We have reached a substantial scale, driven by strong government support and our industry’s robust capability,” he said.
“We cannot afford to be complacent–our journey has only just begun. There are immense opportunities still to be harnessed, and with the rapidly evolving geopolitical landscape, our window of opportunity is short. We must take decisive steps forward,” the chairman further added.
The ICEA believes this achievement shows a successful collaboration between a proactive government and a resilient industry, capable of producing smartphones that align with global standards.
Smartphones are now on track to become India’s top export commodity for the first time, a remarkable turnaround in the nation’s manufacturing capabilities, the ICEA said.