NITI Aayog Report Highlights India's Potential to Lead in Global Electronics Manufacturing

Global Value Chains (GVCs) are essential in modern manufacturing, involving international collaboration across design, production, marketing, and distribution.

NITI Aayog today launched the report titled “Electronics: Powering India’s Participation in Global Value Chains”. The report provides an extensive analysis of India’s electronics sector, highlighting its potential and challenges, and outlines specific interventions needed for India to become a global manufacturing hub for electronics.

Global Value Chains (GVCs) are essential in modern manufacturing, involving international collaboration across design, production, marketing, and distribution. Representing 70% of international trade, GVCs underscore the need for India to enhance its participation, particularly in electronics, semiconductors, automobiles, chemicals, and pharmaceuticals. Electronics is especially crucial, with 75% of its exports originating from GVCs.

India’s electronics sector has seen rapid growth, reaching USD 155 billion in FY23. Production nearly doubled from USD 48 billion in FY17 to USD 101 billion in FY23, driven primarily by mobile phones, which now constitute 43% of total electronics production. India has significantly reduced its reliance on smartphone imports, now manufacturing 99% domestically.

Initiatives like Make in India and Digital India, along with improved infrastructure and ease of doing business, supported by various incentives, have stimulated domestic manufacturing and attracted foreign investments. Despite these advances, India’s electronics market remains relatively moderate, accounting for only 4% of the global market, with a primary focus on assembly and limited capabilities in design and component manufacturing.

The global electronics market, valued at USD 4.3 trillion, is dominated by countries like China, Taiwan, USA, South Korea, Vietnam, and Malaysia. India currently exports approximately USD 25 billion annually, representing less than 1% of the global share despite a 4% share in global demand. To enhance competitiveness, India needs to localize high-tech components, strengthen design capabilities through R&D investments, and forge strategic partnerships with global technology leaders.

As of FY23, the value of India’s electronics production stands at USD 101 billion, comprising USD 86 billion in finished goods and USD 15 billion in components manufacturing. Exports totaled ~USD 25 billion during the same period, reflecting India's growing role in the global electronics market. The sector has also contributed between 15% to 18% in domestic value addition and generated approximately 1.3 million jobs.

In a Business As Usual (BAU) scenario, projections indicate that India’s electronics manufacturing could escalate to USD 278 billion by FY30, including USD 253 billion from finished goods and USD 25 billion from components manufacturing. Employment generation is expected to grow to around 3.4 million, with exports reaching USD 111 billion.

However, to become the third-largest global economy, India needs a more ambitious vision for its technology-driven sectors. With a conducive business environment and robust policy support, including fiscal incentives and non-fiscal interventions, India should aim for USD 500 billion in electronics manufacturing by FY30. This target includes USD 350 billion from finished goods and USD 150 billion from components manufacturing. Such growth is projected to create employment for 5.5 to 6 million people, significantly boosting job opportunities across the country. Electronics exports are expected to reach USD 240 billion, with domestic value addition increasing to more than 35%.

The strategy emphasizes scaling up production in established segments such as mobile phones and establishing a foothold in component manufacturing. Additionally, there should be a strong focus on diversifying into emerging areas such as wearables, IoT devices, and automotive electronics. This strategic diversification will capitalize on evolving consumer demands and technological advancements, positioning India as a leader in innovative electronic products on the global stage.

The report recommends strategic interventions across fiscal, financial, regulatory, and infrastructure domains to support this ambitious growth trajectory. These include promoting components and capital goods manufacturing, incentivizing R&D and Design, tariff rationalization, skilling initiatives, facilitation of technology transfers, and infrastructure development to foster a robust electronics manufacturing ecosystem in India.

India possesses immense potential to establish itself as a global leader in electronics manufacturing. By capitalizing on emerging opportunities, enhancing value chain integration, and overcoming existing challenges, India can transform its electronics sector into a cornerstone of economic growth and job creation.