India's mobile phone manufacturing at $44 billion, exports at $11 billion, says IT Minister Vaishnaw

India’s mobile phone manufacturing sector has experienced a remarkable surge from a negligible presence to a substantial $44 billion today, with approximately $11 billion worth of these handsets being exported, announced Ashwini Vaishnaw, the Union Minister of Electronics and Information Technology, on Monday. Reflecting on the evolution over the past decade, Vaishnaw emphasized the significant expansion of electronics manufacturing in the country. Following a tour of Tata Electronics’ iPhone casings factory in Hosur, he noted, “Ten years ago, electronics manufacturing was a very small activity in our country. Today, the magnitude of electronics manufacturing is worth 8.5 lakh crore in the country.” Highlighting India’s ascent up the value chain, Vaishnaw underscored the diverse array of parts, components, and sub-assemblies now manufactured within the country. Over the past eight and a half years, India has positioned itself to take a lead role in exports within the electronics industry, according to the minister. A decade ago, a staggering 98 per cent of mobile phones used in India were imported, but today, an impressive 99.2 per cent of mobile phones are made in India, a testament to the success of the Make in India initiative, Vaishnaw revealed. The minister also commended the progress in the semiconductor industry, citing the launch of the India Semiconductor Mission on January 1, 2022. Notably, Micron Technology has initiated the construction of the country’s first chip manufacturing plant as part of this mission. With around 250,000 people directly employed in the mobile phone industry, India is witnessing a substantial boost in employment opportunities. Vaishnaw discussed the recent Tata takeover of Taiwanese company Wistron’s iPhone assembly plant in Karnataka’s Kolar district, highlighting the precision and technological advancements involved. Furthermore, he shared that 27 companies have received approval under the production-linked incentive 2.0 scheme for IT hardware, with at least 23 of them already operational. The minister expressed confidence that every aspect of the electronics value chain, including PCs, mobile phones, power electronics, servers, and laptops, will soon be manufactured in India. (With input from agencies)