India Sees Six-Fold Rise in Electronics Output Over 11 Years, Says Ashwini Vaishnaw

Over the past 11 years, India's electronics manufacturing sector has seen a dramatic change, with production expanding six times and exports increasing eight times, according to Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw. As per the minister, exports increased from INR 0.38 lakh crore to INR 3.3 lakh crore during the same period, while the manufacturing of electronic goods increased from INR 1.9 lakh crore in 2014–15 to INR 11.3 lakh crore in 2024–25.

PLI Scheme the Magic Wand of Electronic Sector

The minister emphasised the effects of the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme for Large Scale Electronics Manufacturing (LSEM) on the social media site X. According to Vaishnaw, the programme has so far enabled manufacturing worth INR 9.8 lakh crore and drawn investments totalling over INR 13,475 crore. Over the previous ten years, the electronics manufacturing industry has also created almost 25 lakh jobs, he continued.

At the local level, this is the true economic growth. The minister emphasised the transition from assembly-led growth to a deeper manufacturing ecosystem, stating that job creation will accelerate as we scale semiconductor and component manufacturing. Electronics manufacturing, which was ranked seventh ten years ago, is now India's third-largest export category, according to Vaishnaw. Additionally, India has become the second-largest producer of mobile phones worldwide. 99.2% of mobile phones sold in the nation are currently produced domestically, with the number of mobile manufacturing facilities increasing from just two in 2014–15 to around 300 now.

Changing Dynamics of India’s Electronic Manufacturing Sector

Exports have increased from a meagre INR 0.01 lakh crore to INR 2 lakh crore, while mobile phone production has surged from INR 0.18 lakh crore to INR 5.5 lakh crore, demonstrating the growing effectiveness of the "Make in India" campaign. The minister added that although the government's initial focus was on completed electronics, policy emphasis has since shifted to developing local capacity for raw materials, manufacturing equipment, modules, components, and sub-modules.

According to him, this shift is being supported by the Electronics Component Manufacturing Scheme. Up to 249 applications under the plan indicate the possibility of INR 1.15 lakh crore in investments, INR 10.34 lakh crore in expected production, and the creation of 1.42 lakh jobs.

Vaishnaw called this a sign of strong industry confidence and said it was the largest investment pledge ever made in India's electronics sector. The minister also highlighted advancements in the semiconductor industry, noting that 10 semiconductor units have been certified thus far, three of which are in pilot or early production phases. He claimed that Indian Fabs and ATMPs would soon provide chips to manufacturers of devices and phones.