Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw says India is developing the capability to produce smartphones with domestic designs, manufacturing and intellectual property, aiming to create a globally competitive Indian mobile brand.
Highlights
- India aims to introduce its own designed and manufactured smartphone by October 23, 2028.
- Ashwini Vaishnaw announced the target at the NDTV World Summit 2026.
- The smartphone will feature Indian design, manufacturing and branding.
- An Indian company has already supplied a 5G smartphone to a major US telecom operator.
- Two Indian companies have developed smartphone motherboard designs.
- The government aims to retain smartphone intellectual property within India.
India to Have Its Own Smartphone by October 2028, Says Ashwini Vaishnaw
New Delhi, October 24, 2026: India is aiming to introduce its own domestically designed, manufactured and branded smartphone by October 2028, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced at the NDTV World Summit in New Delhi.
Speaking on October 23, Vaishnaw set a two-year target for developing an Indian smartphone brand backed by domestic technology and intellectual property.
He said that by October 23, 2028, India would have smartphones designed, manufactured and branded in the country.
India Developing Smartphone Design Capabilities
Vaishnaw highlighted the technical challenges involved in designing modern smartphones, explaining that several advanced components must be integrated into a compact device.
These include antennas, radio frequency systems, processors, memory, cameras, displays and power management systems.
According to the minister, smartphone design requires balancing performance, power consumption, weight and internal space.
He said the government had challenged Indian companies to develop smartphone design capabilities around three years ago.
Indian Company Already Supplying 5G Phones to US
Vaishnaw revealed that an Indian company has already designed, manufactured and delivered a 5G smartphone to a major telecommunications service provider in the United States.
He said two Indian companies had developed printed circuit board (PCB) designs, which serve as the main motherboard of smartphones.
One company’s design was selected by a leading US telecom operator.
The minister said this achievement demonstrated India’s growing capabilities in smartphone engineering and manufacturing.
Government Plans Indian Smartphone Brand
Building on these developments, the government aims to support the creation of a smartphone with Indian branding, design and intellectual property.
Vaishnaw expressed confidence that the future Indian smartphone could become one of the largest-selling mobile devices.
However, the minister did not disclose the brand name, expected price, specifications or manufacturing partner for the proposed smartphone.
Make in India Push for Electronics Manufacturing
Vaishnaw also highlighted the government’s Make in India initiative as a major driver of domestic manufacturing.
He criticised the industrial policies of previous Congress-led governments, arguing that excessive regulations had restricted manufacturing growth.
The minister said India’s expanding electronics ecosystem and newly developed smartphone design capabilities would help the country move beyond assembly towards higher-value technology development.
The October 2028 target represents the government’s ambition to strengthen India’s position in the global smartphone industry through domestic innovation, manufacturing and technology ownership.
Source: Deccan Herald, October 24, 2026
