Cabinet clears Rs 62,500 crore mobile manufacturing scheme to boost Indian phone brands

The Union Cabinet approved a Rs 62,500 crore scheme succeeding PLI, focused on local sourcing, R&D incentives and Indian smartphone brands over 5 years. Targeting 35-40% global production share and Rs 39 lakh crore output, the policy strengthens electronics retail supply chains, export capacity and roughly 60,000 jobs.

— Source publishedWed, 15 Jul, 2026, 18:33 IST·First seen Wed, 15 Jul, 2026, 18:44 IST·Source Indian Express · Business

What happened

Apple · Union Cabinet cleared a Rs 62,500 crore mobile manufacturing scheme succeeding PLI, focused on local sourcing, R&D and Indian smartphone brands,

Key facts

  • Rs 62,500 crore scheme
  • 5 years
  • 24% local value addition
  • 2.25%-5% incentive
  • 3% R&D incentive
  • 1.5% sourcing incentive
  • Rs 39 lakh crore production target
  • 60,000 jobs

Why this matters

The shift from PLI to R&D-linked incentives and local-sourcing mandates opens M&A and JV opportunities in component makers and Indian smartphone brands positioned to capture the localization wave.

What to watch

  • Final scheme guidelines defining eligible value-add categories and disbursement mechanics
  • First major component-maker plant commitments (semis, display, PCB)
  • Apple/Samsung capacity reallocation signals from China to India
  • Handset ASP movement in domestic retail over next 3 quarters
  • Job-creation and localization milestone reporting vs 60,000 target
  • Global component vendors evaluate India JV/plant announcements to qualify for scheme benefits
  • Domestic contract manufacturers (Dixon, Optiemus, Bharat FIH) bid for R&D-linked incentives
  • Retail chains prep expanded shelf space and financing for Indian-brand and locally-made SKUs
  • State governments compete with land/power sweeteners to host new component clusters