India’s Smartphone Exports to US Surge 148% in August 2025
India’s smartphone exports witnessed robust growth in August 2025, defying concerns of a slowdown. Fresh data from the India Cellular & Electronics Association (ICEA) revealed that exports rose 39% year-on-year to $1.53 billion, compared to $1.09 billion in August 2024. The United States emerged as the key driver, with shipments soaring 148% to $965 million, up from $388 million last year.
Between April and August 2025, smartphone exports to the US touched $8.43 billion, accounting for nearly 80% of FY25’s total of $10.56 billion. Overall, exports in the first five months of FY26 reached ₹1 lakh crore (around $11.7 billion), marking a 55% rise from the same period last year.
ICEA highlighted that month-on-month comparisons often misrepresent trends, as exports are influenced by industry-specific cycles. Chairman Pankaj Mohindroo cautioned against “oversimplification of trade data,” urging stakeholders to evaluate performance across fiscal periods for accurate insights.
The industry body explained that August and September are traditionally low-export months due to multiple factors. These include global customers waiting for new product launches in September-October, production slowdowns during plant retrofitting for fresh models, and companies prioritizing India’s festive demand before exports accelerate again for the Western holiday season.
Smartphones have now become India’s top export by HS code, rising from the 167th position in FY15 to the leading category in FY25. This growth has been propelled by the Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme, supply chain diversification, and increasing confidence of global brands in India’s manufacturing ecosystem.
