India’s electronics journey has reached a pivotal moment, where ambition aligns with action and data speaks louder than promises. When Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced the approval of seven innovative projects under the Electronics Component Manufacturing Scheme (ECMS), it wasn’t just a policy statement; it was a strong declaration of intent, supported by facts and a vision for the future. As the minister stated, these investments “will ensure an unbroken supply chain, new jobs, and a decisive step towards deepening India’s electronics value chain,” capturing the essence of a sector that is elevating India’s global standing in technology more than ever before.
A decade ago, India’s electronics landscape told a very different story. Most phones and devices came from overseas, and component manufacturing barely had a footprint in the country. The industry was fragmented, with little incentive and even less infrastructure to build cutting-edge products at home. The tide began to turn gradually with the introduction of policies focused on local manufacturing, value addition, and attracting investments, laying a foundation for outward growth.
What’s happening now is nothing short of transformative. ECMS, notified in April 2025 with an outlay of nearly ₹23,000 crore, has sparked intense interest both domestically and globally. Investment commitments under the scheme have soared to ₹1.15 lakh crore by September 2025, almost twice the original target. Remarkably, these first seven projects alone have attracted ₹5,532 crore in investment, with expectations of generating ₹44,406 crore in production output and creating 5,195 new jobs across states such as Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, and Madhya Pradesh. These initiatives are more than numbers; they represent factories, research labs, and a new era of skill development for the country’s youth.
The new ECMS projects cover a wide spectrum of components critical to modern technology, camera module sub-assemblies, high-density interconnect PCBs, copper-clad laminates, and polypropylene film for capacitors. These are the building blocks behind everyday essentials: smartphones, connected vehicles, medical devices, and industrial systems. Making these components in India not only strengthens domestic supply chains but also positions India as a reliable player in global electronics trade.
This momentum reflects a decade’s worth of progress. Electronics have surged from the seventh-largest export category just three years ago to the third-largest and fastest-growing for FY 2024–25. Production has grown sixfold since 2014–15, from ₹1.9 lakh crore to ₹11.3 lakh crore. Exports leapt eight times in the same period, totalling ₹3.27 lakh crore, while employment in electronics manufacturing has created around 25 lakh jobs. Leading this charge is mobile manufacturing, now boasting over 300 units compared to only two in 2014, making India the world’s second-largest phone producer.
Mobile phone exports underscore this transformation: from just ₹1,500 crore in 2014–15 to an incredible ₹2 lakh crore in 2024–25. Tech giants like Apple now routinely export iPhones worth over ₹1 lakh crore, shattering previous records and giving a major boost to the sector’s credibility. These milestones send a clear message: the country is no longer just an importer but a power center for production and innovation, supplying devices and components around the globe.
Looking forward, the ECMS is paving the way toward even deeper integration of the Indian industry in the global value chain. The scheme is projected to generate more than ₹10 lakh crore in output over six years, far above initial estimates. Direct job creation is expected to surpass 1.4 lakh, setting the stage for new opportunities in design, engineering, supply chain management, and advanced manufacturing. In practical terms, this means more factories, high-tech labs, and skilled jobs, with the ripple effect extending to indirect employment and associated industries. The government’s clear focus on making India a preferred destination for electronics ensures growth, export momentum, and global competitiveness for years to come.
What started as a policy response to import dependence has evolved into a movement for true self-reliance. With ECMS catalyzing large-scale investments, world-class component manufacturing, and export breakthroughs, India is writing a new chapter in its technology story. Today, when a smartphone or a medical device is made in India, it carries the promise of a nation engineering its future one chip, one circuit, one innovation at a time.