India’s Electronics Exports Rise 11-Fold to $47.98 Billion as Women’s Workforce Nears 30%

India’s electronics industry has recorded rapid growth, with exports reaching $47.98 billion, rising domestic production, strong mobile manufacturing and increasing participation of women in the workforce.

India’s Electronics Sector Records Strong Growth

India's electronics manufacturing industry has undergone a major transformation over the past decade. Rising domestic production, stronger export capabilities and government-backed manufacturing programmes have helped the sector emerge as an important contributor to India's economy.

Electronics exports increased more than 11 times, reaching ₹4.24 lakh crore ($47.98 billion) in FY2025-26, compared with ₹38,000 crore in FY2014-15.

The sector has also become an important source of employment, particularly for women working in mobile phone manufacturing and other electronics-related industries.

Electronics Becomes India’s Third-Largest Export Category

Electronic goods have now emerged as India's third-largest export category. Exports increased from around ₹38,000 crore ($6.21 billion) in FY2014-15 to ₹4.24 lakh crore ($47.98 billion) in FY2025-26.

The growth reflects India's expanding role in global electronics manufacturing and supply chains.

Government initiatives supporting production, investment, component manufacturing and industrial infrastructure have helped companies increase manufacturing capacity within the country.

Electronics Production Expands Significantly

Domestic electronics production has also witnessed substantial growth. Production increased from approximately ₹18,000 crore ($2.94 billion) in FY2014-15 to ₹6.27 lakh crore ($70.95 billion) in FY2025-26.

The increase indicates a shift from a market largely dependent on imported electronics towards greater domestic manufacturing.

Several government programmes have played a role in supporting this transformation, including the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme, Electronics Components Manufacturing Scheme (ECMS), India Semiconductor Mission (ISM) and Modified Electronics Manufacturing Clusters (EMC 2.0).

Government Schemes Support Manufacturing

The PLI scheme has encouraged manufacturers to expand production and investment in India.

The ECMS focuses on developing a stronger domestic ecosystem for electronic components, while the India Semiconductor Mission aims to strengthen India's semiconductor capabilities.

Meanwhile, EMC 2.0 is designed to support manufacturing clusters by improving infrastructure and creating an environment for electronics companies to scale operations.

Together, these initiatives are aimed at increasing domestic value addition, attracting investment and strengthening India's position in global electronics supply chains.

Mobile Phones Lead Electronics Export Growth

Mobile phones have been one of the biggest contributors to India's electronics manufacturing expansion. India has now become the world's second-largest mobile phone manufacturer.

Mobile phones moved from being the 153rd-largest export item in FY2014-15 to India's largest export product in FY2025-26.

This transformation highlights the rapid expansion of India's smartphone manufacturing ecosystem and its growing importance in international markets.

Mobile Phone Exports Rise 165 Times

Mobile phone exports have recorded an extraordinary increase over the past decade. Exports rose from around ₹1,500 crore ($245.30 million) in FY2014-15 to ₹2.59 lakh crore ($29.30 billion) in FY2025-26.

That represents a roughly 165-fold increase. The growth has also created significant employment opportunities, with the mobile manufacturing industry generating around 12 lakh jobs.

Women’s Participation in Electronics Manufacturing

The electronics sector is increasingly becoming an important source of employment for women. Women account for nearly 30% of the workforce across the broader electronics manufacturing ecosystem.

Their participation is particularly strong in mobile phone manufacturing, where women make up approximately 70% of the workforce.

The growing presence of women in the sector highlights the potential of electronics manufacturing to create formal employment opportunities and support greater participation of women in India's industrial workforce.

India’s Digital Economy Continues to Expand

The growth of electronics manufacturing has occurred alongside rapid expansion of India's digital economy.

Digital activities now contribute as much as 14% of India's GDP, supported by wider internet access, expanding mobile connectivity and significantly lower data costs.

The country's digital transformation has created stronger demand for smartphones, computers, telecommunications equipment and other electronic products.

Internet Users Cross 109 Crore

India's internet user base has expanded dramatically.

The number of internet subscribers increased from approximately 25.15 crore in 2014 to more than 109.2 crore by March 2026.

This expansion has helped bring digital services to a much larger section of the population while creating a bigger domestic market for electronic devices and connectivity services.

Data Costs Fall Sharply

The cost of mobile data has also declined significantly. Wireless data prices fell from around ₹308 per GB in 2014 to ₹7.51 per GB in 2026.

The sharp reduction in data costs has helped make internet access more affordable and encouraged greater use of digital services.

Lower data prices, combined with growing smartphone ownership, have supported India's rapid transition towards a digitally connected economy.

Mobile Internet Speeds Improve

India has also recorded major improvements in mobile broadband performance. Average mobile broadband download speeds increased from 13.67 Mbps in March 2022 to 132 Mbps in December 2025.

Faster connections have improved the user experience for activities such as video streaming, online education, digital payments, gaming, remote work and other internet-based services.

5G Connectivity Expands Across India

The country's telecommunications infrastructure has also advanced rapidly with the rollout of 5G services. As of June 2026, 5G services were available in 99.9% of districts across India's States and Union Territories.

The country had approximately 5.63 lakh 5G Base Transceiver Stations during the period.

Meanwhile, 4G connectivity had expanded to around 6.31 lakh villages, helping extend high-speed mobile connectivity beyond major urban centres.

Electronics Manufacturing Could Strengthen India’s Global Position

The rapid rise in electronics exports and domestic production suggests that India is becoming an increasingly important manufacturing destination.

The combination of government incentives, improving infrastructure, a large domestic market and expanding digital connectivity could help attract further investment in electronics and related component industries.

Greater domestic production of components and semiconductors could also increase value addition and reduce dependence on imports.

Conclusion

India's electronics industry has experienced remarkable growth, with exports reaching $47.98 billion and mobile phone exports rising 165 times over the past decade. At the same time, the sector is creating millions of jobs and providing significant employment opportunities for women. Combined with expanding internet access, falling data costs and widespread 5G connectivity, the electronics boom is strengthening India's position as a global manufacturing and digital economy hub.