India electronics exports rise 24% in FY26 on smartphones

The FY26 export surge and why it matters

India’s electronics exports rose 24% in the last fiscal year, supported by a sharp increase in smartphone shipments and growing acceptance of “Made in India” devices in major markets. An official said total exports of electronic goods reached $17.96 billion in FY26, up from $18.56 billion in the previous fiscal. The performance adds to a multi-year trend where electronics has moved up India’s export rankings and is now positioned as a key manufacturing-led growth segment. The government’s production-linked incentive (PLI) push for electronics manufacturing is a central part of this shift, as handset makers such as Apple and Samsung scale up production for global markets.

FY26 headline numbers: exports, categories, and momentum

The FY26 numbers show broad-based improvement beyond just finished devices. Smartphones led the overall increase, with exports climbing nearly 22%, according to the official cited. Other contributors included printed circuit boards (PCB), telecom equipment components, and personal computers, which were also named as drivers of the full-year export performance. The mix matters because it indicates rising volumes of components and equipment in addition to assembled phones, suggesting deeper integration of the supply chain.

Smartphones and the United States: the biggest demand signal

The United States was highlighted as a key driver of India’s smartphone export growth. The official said the US imported $19.68 billion worth of devices from India in FY26, an 86% jump over FY25. The data underlines how India’s smartphone assembly and export ecosystem has become a major supplier to the US market. Separately, the Economic Survey 2026 noted that in Q2 FY 2025-26, India overtook China to become the top smartphone exporter to the United States.

Other electronics segments that supported exports

FY26 export growth also included higher-value components and equipment categories. Outbound shipments of loaded PCBs totalled $1.61 billion in FY26. Exports of machines for transmission of voice and data surged 75% to $1.67 billion. The same official update also reported that telecom equipment parts rose 90.5%, and personal computers increased 84%. While the article does not specify the base values for these percentage jumps, the direction points to strong year-on-year expansion across multiple electronics sub-segments.

Key export destinations: US, UAE, China and others

Along with the United States, the article listed the UAE, China, Singapore, and Hong Kong as other key destinations for Indian electronics exports. It also noted that emerging destinations such as the Slovak Republic saw high growth. In a related datapoint, the text also referenced that the top five export destinations for Indian electronic goods in FY 2024-25 were the United States, United Arab Emirates, Netherlands, United Kingdom, and Italy.

PLI and the manufacturing base: scale-up indicators

The FY26 export performance was linked to the expansion of manufacturing under the PLI programme for electronics. A total of 59 companies reported incremental production of about ₹2,450 billion during April to December 2025. The Economic Survey 2026 also described the electronics PLI for large-scale manufacturing, launched in 2020, as a major driver of output and exports.

Economic Survey 2026: electronics nearing the No. 2 export slot

According to the Economic Survey 2026 tabled in Parliament on January 29, India’s electronics sector rose from the seventh-largest export category in FY22 to the third-largest and fastest-growing in FY25. The momentum continued into H1 FY26, with electronics exports reaching $12.2 billion, putting the segment on course to become India’s second-largest export category. This reinforces the FY26 full-year trend described in the export data, especially as smartphones remain the largest single contributor.

Longer-term production and exports: what the decade shows

The article provided a longer time series to show how quickly the sector has expanded. Electronics production increased from ₹1,900 billion in 2014-15 to about ₹11,300 billion in 2024-25, described as nearly a six-fold rise. Electronics exports grew from ₹380 billion in 2014-15 to about ₹3,260 billion in 2024-25, an eight-fold increase. Mobile phone production rose from ₹2,140 billion in FY 2019-20 to ₹5,500 billion in FY 2024-25. Mobile phone exports were also cited as rising from ₹15 billion in 2014-15 to ₹2,000 billion in 2024-25.

Investment, exports, and jobs under PLI

As of September 2025, the PLI scheme for large-scale electronics manufacturing generated cumulative production of ₹9,340 billion, exports of ₹5,120 billion, and investments of ₹137.59 billion, according to the Economic Survey 2026. The same material also mentioned that the programme generated over 1.85 lakh direct jobs. These figures help explain how India has been able to supply larger volumes to export markets, especially in smartphones.

Snapshot table: FY26 export drivers and destinations

Trend table: scale-up in production, exports, and mobile manufacturing

What investors and industry watchers are tracking next

The FY26 export jump and the H1 FY26 level of $12.2 billion strengthen the case that electronics is moving into the top tier of India’s export basket. The shift is being led by smartphones, but the rise in categories like loaded PCBs and telecom-related equipment indicates wider capability building. For global trade watchers, the Economic Survey’s note that India overtook China in Q2 FY 2025-26 as the top smartphone exporter to the US is a key marker of changing sourcing patterns.

Conclusion

India’s electronics exports rose 24% in FY26 to $17.96 billion, led by nearly 22% growth in smartphones and rising US demand. With electronics exports at $12.2 billion in H1 FY26 and PLI-linked expansion in production and exports, the sector is positioned to climb further in India’s export rankings as FY26 progresses.