India aims to have its own mobile phones designed, manufactured and sold under Indian brands by October 2028, Union Electronics and IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has announced. The target marks a push to move beyond assembling smartphones for international companies and develop domestic expertise in product design and intellectual property.
Speaking at an event on October 23, 2026, Vaishnaw said India would work towards creating phones with Indian design, manufacturing and branding. He described smartphone development as a complex engineering task involving multiple components that must work together within a compact device.
Building India’s Smartphone Design Capabilities
A smartphone combines radio-frequency communication systems, antennas, processors, memory, cameras, displays and power-management components. Integrating these systems requires careful engineering to balance performance, battery life, weight and device size.
Vaishnaw said the government had challenged Indian designers several years ago to develop a printed circuit board (PCB), the motherboard that connects a phone’s electronic components. Two companies took up the challenge, and one developed a design selected by a major US telecommunications service provider.
According to the minister, the company has already designed and delivered a 5G-plus mobile phone to the US operator, with devices manufactured and supplied to customers. He said this experience could help establish the capabilities required to develop Indian-branded handsets.
From Manufacturing to Indian-Owned Brands
India has expanded its mobile phone manufacturing base in recent years, producing devices for several international brands. The next stage of the government’s strategy is to encourage companies to develop their own designs, technology and brands.
Retaining intellectual property in India could allow domestic companies to capture greater value from research, engineering and product development, rather than relying primarily on assembly operations.
The government’s Mobile Phone Manufacturing Scheme, announced in August 2026 with an outlay of ₹62,500 crore, includes support for Indian-owned mobile brands and domestic design and research capabilities.
Aiming for Global Competitiveness
Developing a successful smartphone brand will require more than manufacturing capacity. Companies will need to deliver competitive pricing, reliable hardware, software support and products that meet consumer expectations in India and international markets.
Vaishnaw said the capabilities built over the past three-and-a-half years would help support the proposed initiative. The October 2028 target represents the government’s ambition to strengthen India’s role in electronics design and retain more technology ownership within the country.
The coming two years will be important in determining how Indian companies translate existing manufacturing and design capabilities into commercially competitive, homegrown smartphone brands.
