2 hrs ago
India Targets Fully Domestic Smartphone by End of 2028
India wants to make a smartphone using parts and a design created in the country.
Two or three Indian companies are working on the plan with the government.
The target is to have the phone ready for sale by the end of 2028.
Today, many phones made in India are assembled there but still use parts from other countries.
The new phone is meant to use only Indian-made components.
It is expected to run Android and cost less than a high-end iPhone.
Its name has not been decided yet.
The plan is part of a wider effort to grow India’s electronics industry.
Two or three Indian companies are working with the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology on the project, government sources told NDTV.
The goal is to make the phone’s components, design and manufacturing entirely in India, without imported components.
The device is targeted for market launch by the end of 2028 and is expected to be priced for ordinary consumers.
It is expected to use Google’s Android operating system and sit several levels below Apple’s high-end iPhones in features.
Government sources said India exports about Rs 35,000 crore worth of smartphone components to China; the next goal is domestic production of all required components.
- Who
- Two or three Indian companies are working with the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.
- What
- A smartphone made entirely in India, including its components and design, is being developed.
- Where
- India.
- When
- The target is to have it on the market by the end of 2028.
- Why
- The government aims to develop domestic electronics production and move beyond assembling phones that rely on imported components.
Government’s manufacturing ambition
Criticism of manufacturing progress
India’s manufacturing record
Government’s manufacturing ambition
The government is pursuing domestic components, assembly and design, and the proposed phone could demonstrate progress beyond assembly.
Criticism of manufacturing progress
Rahul Gandhi has questioned the government’s manufacturing record, while former Reserve Bank of India governor Raghuram Rajan has argued that India continues to lag behind its manufacturing potential.
Key facts
- Project partners
- Two or three Indian companies, working with the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology
- Target market date
- By the end of 2028
- Planned sourcing
- All components, design and manufacturing are intended to be domestic, with no imported components
- Expected operating system
- Google’s Android
- Expected market position
- Several levels below an Apple high-end iPhone in features, and priced for ordinary consumers
- Component exports to China
- About Rs 35,000 crore, according to government sources
- Name
- Not finalised; a name associated with India is being considered
Sources
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