1 week ago
India Plans New Smartphone Brands Through Manufacturing Push
India wants to make more smartphones using Indian ideas and parts.
The government is creating a program to support large-scale phone manufacturing.
New Indian phone companies will need to create their own designs.
They must also show that they own the technology and intellectual property behind those designs.
The government believes three possible Indian smartphone brands could appear within 10 to 14 months.
Lava International and Ai say their phones are designed locally.
Companies that use more Indian-made parts may receive extra financial support.
The larger goal is to help India do more than assemble phones and build stronger domestic brands.
The government expects up to three potential Indian smartphone players to emerge within 10 to 14 months.
Companies seeking support must use original designs and prove ownership of the related intellectual property.
The Mobile Phone Manufacturing Scheme has a ₹62,500 crore allocation and will run from FY 2026-27 to FY 2030-31.
Lava International and Ai say they already design smartphones locally.
Companies using Indian-made components may receive additional incentives of 0.2% to 0.5%.
- Who
- The Government of India, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, smartphone manufacturers, and potential Indian brands.
- What
- A government push to develop Indian smartphone brands, original designs, domestic intellectual property, and local component production.
- Where
- India.
- When
- The government expects three potential players within 10 to 14 months; the Mobile Phone Manufacturing Scheme will run from FY 2026-27 to FY 2030-31.
- Why
- To build a stronger domestic smartphone ecosystem and help Indian companies capture more value beyond phone assembly.
Key facts
- Scheme
- Mobile Phone Manufacturing Scheme, or MPMS
- Allocation
- ₹62,500 crore
- Scheme period
- FY 2026-27 to FY 2030-31
- Potential new players
- Three within approximately 10 to 14 months
- Design requirement
- Supported companies must use original designs rather than copied devices
- Intellectual property
- Companies must prove that they own the intellectual property behind their products
- Component incentive
- An additional 0.2% to 0.5% for using eligible Indian-made components
- Main incentive
- Eligible sales incentives range from 2.25% to 5%
Quotes
Ashwini Vaishnaw
Union Minister discussing requirements for Indian smartphone brands
“In this target segment of developing Indian brands, we are very particular that the design has to be your own design. It cannot just be a copycat.”
livemint.com
“We see three players who have the potential of coming up in a time frame of, let us say, about 10-14 months from now”
livemint.com
Sources
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