India aims to develop indigenous smartphone brand by 2028

India is working toward the goal of producing indigenously designed, manufactured, and branded smartphones by October 23, 2028, according to Electronics and IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw. While the country has already established itself as the world’s second-largest mobile phone manufacturing nation, the government's new focus is on owning more intellectual property rather than just serving as a production base for global brands.

To support this transition, the government has implemented the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme and the Mobile Phone Manufacturing Scheme (MPMS), which includes an outlay of 625 billion Indian rupees (US$6.56 billion). These initiatives aim to deepen domestic value addition, strengthen supply chain resilience, and enhance global competitiveness.

BJP president Nitin Nabin also noted that the ‘Make in India’ initiative and increased skill development have been critical to this industrial expansion. He highlighted that the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated growth across several industrial sectors and cited a proposed allocation of approximately Rs 20,000 crore in the Union Budget to further support manufacturing.