PM Modi envisions providing the world with a fully Made-in-India phone

Speaking at the IMC 2024, Prime Minister Narendra Modi highlighted that he had laid out the vision of a digital-first India a decade ago.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday addressed a crowd at the inauguration of the 8th ITU telecom standard meeting in New Delhi. He said India has become a smartphone manufacturing hub, and the world now views it as a “mobile exporter.”

PM Modi points out how India has become a smartphone manufacturing hub.

During his inaugural speech, PM Modi attended the 8th edition of the India Mobile Congress (IMC) 2024 in New Delhi said, “In 2014, there were only two mobile manufacturing units, and today that number has grown to over 200. Previously, we imported more mobile phones, but now we manufacture six times more phones within the country.” PM Modi recalled that a decade ago, he had laid out a vision of a digital-first India, aiming to lower the cost of phones, a goal achievable only if they were domestically manufactured. Since the “Make in India” campaign was introduced over the past ten years, the Centre has introduced various support measures like the Production Linked Incentive Scheme and a range of tariff incentives for helping local as well as foreign businesses establish a presence in India and diversify away from China amid rising geopolitical risks.

India’s growth is a promising location for smartphone manufacturing.

Over the years, India has shown growth as a promising location for manufacturing smartphones. India manufactures 14 percent of iPhones, making the country the largest producer of smartphones outside of China. Apple plans to increase this share to 24-25 percent between 2027 and 2028. Google is also manufacturing its high-end Pixel smartphones in India. Nearly every major smartphone maker makes its phones in India. PM Modi said, “We now aim to provide the world with a fully Made-in-India phone, from the chip to the finished product. We are making significant investments to create a semiconductor ecosystem.”