10 Oct 2024
Apple started making iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max phones in India last week. Google began manufacturing Pixel smartphones.
Until the last fiscal year FY24, India’s smartphone imports comprised 2.5% of the mobiles sold by value and less than 1% by volume, especially Pro models of high-end phones, like Pixel and iPhone.
With smartphone-oriented production-linked schemes (PLI), brands found new motivation to make their devices in India. Local manufacturing is further expected to reduce the iPhone Pro's price by ₹15,000 per unit.
India now produces 99% of all smartphones locally. The domestic suppliers will soon cover the remaining 1%. Foreign brands like Samsung, Vivo, Oppo, Realme, Xiaomi, and Transsion Holdings now produce all devices here. Local smartphone manufacturing has risen from ₹18,900 crore in FY15 to ₹410,000 crore in FY25, around 30% of which is for exports.
In the FY25 budget, the Indian government reduced import customs duty to curb the high-end mobile grey market. This motivated Apple to reduce iPhone prices by up to 4%.