Made-In-India Phones: The Rise of a New Giant

Every other day, one smartphone maker or the other announces a new model for launch or release in India. Some of those models are designed and made specifically for the Indian smartphone market. And many of them are manufactured, produced, or made in India itself.

At first, if you looked at the list of smartphones that were made in India, some years back, all you would see would be relatively unknown names like Lava, Karbonn, Freedom, Micromax, and the like. If you were not familiar with the Indian market, those were band names you would easily dismiss and go on your way. Why? They were not international brand names. Very people outside of the country could recognise them. But that has changed so much in recent years.

A look at the list of smartphones that are now made in India is a long revelation of globally visible brands. India has risen to be a top manufacturing base for smartphones, feature phones, tablets, and accessories. That should come as no surprise though, considering that the country has had a strong manufacturing base for some decades now. Perhaps the question is, Why did it take so long to happen? But we are not here to answer that question today. Let’s have a look at the list of smartphone makers with manufacturing facilities in India today. Grab a bottle of your favourite drink.

List of Made-In-India Phones

• Apple iPhone: The world’s most profitable phone maker, Apple, has been producing a few iPhone models in India for years now. These models include iPhone XR, iPhone SE 2020, and recently iPhone 13.
• Samsung: The world’s largest smartphone maker also produces some models in India. These models include Samsung Galaxy A, Galaxy M, and Galaxy S devices.
• Xiaomi is the 3rd largest smartphone maker in the world, and they are making phone in India too. You will find their plants in India churning out Redmi and POCO phones. And Indians love the brand: Xiaomi is the leading smartphone brand in the country.
• OPPO: Another global big shot, OPPO had its A, F, and Reno series on the Made In India list.
• Realme: This is a subsidiary of OPPO a d they are making fantastic phones in India that the population there love.
• Vivo: Vivo produces S, U, V, and Y series models right there in India for local consumption.
• iQOO is a subsidiary brand of Vivo, and has models manufactured in India too, at its parent company’s facilities.
• Motorola: A number of Moto models are made in India.
• Nokia: Once the undisputed king of the mobile phone market, Nokia now also has many models that are made in India.
• OnePlus: OnePlus’ international expansion plans would have been ridiculous had they ignored the Indian market. Both regular and Nord models are now made in India.
• Lava: As far as I can tell, Lava is the most visible Indian smartphone maker internationally. The brand has a small export base with potentials for further growth. Lava Z series smartphones are now made in India.
• Micromax: While Lava may have better international visibility, it is not the largest Indian phone brand. That title belongs to Micromax, which also produces phones in the country too.

As you can see from the above list, there is no shortage of phones that are made in India. You can pick almost any top global brand, and find that they have manufacturing facilities or assembling plants in India. Made in India phones are a good alternative for people who are looking for phones that are not made in China.

More Phone Makers Want To Manufacture In India

One of the factors that has led to the rise in the number of smartphones that are made in India is the government’s deliberate campaign to encourage local production. India has a massive population of 1.3 billion people, and the country has a strong, growing economy. As such, it is a viable market and a darling of brands looking to expand. The government took advantage of this to encourage local production, and here we are today. India is now the world’s 2nd leading smartphone manufacturing country after China. And there is huge potential for even more diversification and capacity, in terms of production of components. Perhaps one day, chip makers will flock to set up production facilities in the country.

According to a June 2023 report by Bloomberg, Google is also taking steps to move some of its Pixel smartphone production to India.

As a mobile phone connoisseur and reviewer of over a decade, I have held many phones in my hands and seen a “Made in China” label on them. In the last few years, I have held a few and seen a “Made In India” label on them instead. We will see more of this in the years ahead. Welcome to India, everyone.

Author: Mister Mobility

Master storyteller and founder of Mobility Nigeria, Mister Mobility, has used and reviewed hundreds of mobile phones since 2001.