Big Boost to Make in India as Apple, Samsung Drive Mobile Phone Exports by 6% in 2024

Apple and Samsung have emerged as the biggest contributors to locally manufactured smartphone shipments in 2024, strengthening the government’s Make in India programme. Leading the exports, both brands alone accounted for 94 per cent of smartphone exports, while Chinese original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) such as Oppo and Vivo also expanded their production.

The net ‘Made in India’ smartphone exports grew 6 per cent year-over-year, according to Counterpoint Research, which projected smartphone manufacturing in India to touch double digits in 2025 “along with increasing local value addition.” The government’s production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme catalysed production by helping global manufacturers set up their bases in the country, per the report.

Samsung’s export volume of locally manufactured smartphones registered a growth of 7 per cent YoY, while Vivo saw its exports going up by 14 per cent, thanks to its expanding offline retail and distribution network. “Vivo also claimed the top position in India’s smartphone shipments in 2024,” said Tanvi Sharma, Research Analyst at Counterpoint Research.

While Vivo ramped up its production, its sister BBK company Oppo slipped to the fourth position with its shipments shrinking 34 per cent YoY “due to the intense competition from other brands as well as increasing contribution of contract manufacturing for Oppo and Realme.”

Foxconn — the biggest Apple supplier that manufactures iPhones — saw a YoY growth of 19 per cent in manufacturing volumes. The Taiwanese company has accelerated its investment into India, opening new facilities to increase the production of Apple’s ecosystem across categories. Foxconn is also set to begin manufacturing AirPods wireless earphones at its Hyderabad plant, initially for exports and later for local sales.

Tata Electronics, which acquired Wistron’s facilities and picked a 60 per cent stake in Pegatron, emerged as the fastest-growing manufacturer in 2024. It recorded 107 per cent YoY growth, driven majorly by the exports of iPhone 16 and iPhone 15 units. In addition to manufacturing iPhones, Tata Electronics has also announced a semiconductor fabrication unit in Gujarat and an OSAT (Outsourced Semiconductor Assembly and Test) plant in Assam, underlining its efforts to become a key player in the global electronics supply chain.

DBG Technology registered double-digit growth as a result of its expanded partnerships with Xiaomi and Realme. On the other hand, Dixon became the top manufacturer with 39 per cent YoY growth, backed by new partnerships with Transsion (Tecno, itel, and Infinix) and Realme.

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