Smartphone assembly: Dixon gains ground on Foxconn, DBG Group in India

Dixon Technologies, the homegrown electronics manufacturing services (EMS) player, is fast narrowing the gap with global rivals — Taiwan’s Foxconn Hon Hai and China’s DBG Group — in India’s smartphone assembly market.

 

According to Counterpoint Research, Dixon’s share in India’s smartphone production volume surged to 11 per cent in 2024 from 8 per cent in 2023. By comparison, Foxconn Hon Hai — which assembles iPhones exclusively for Apple Inc — and DBG, which serves Xiaomi and others, each held a 12 per cent share last year. In 2023, Foxconn accounted for 11 per cent, while DBG stood for 9 per cent of smartphone assembly in India.

 

Tata Electronics, another rising domestic player, doubled its share to 4 per cent in 2024 from 2 per cent a year earlier. The company, which took over Wistron’s India operations and acquired a controlling stake in Pegatron, has been the fastest-growing assembler, expanding its output by 107 per cent year-on-year, largely driven by the iPhone 15 and 16 series production. In contrast, Foxconn grew 19 per cent, while DBG increased output by 35 per cent. 

 

Dixon has capitalised on India’s production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme to attract a roster of global brands, including Xiaomi, Nokia HMD, and Motorola. In a landmark deal last year, Dixon formed a joint venture with Vivo, securing a 51 per cent stake to exclusively assemble the Chinese brand’s smartphones. 

 

Additionally, it acquired a majority stake in Transsion’s Indian plant to manufacture phones for the Shenzhen-based company.

 

These moves are expected to propel Dixon to the top of India’s smartphone assembly market in 2025, potentially boosting its share to 22-23 per cent.

 

Meanwhile, Foxconn Hon Hai India remains Apple’s top supplier, accounting for 50 per cent of the total value of iPhones produced in the country. But Tata Electronics is poised to expand its footprint further with the launch of a new iPhone assembly plant later this year.

 

Despite these shifts, Samsung continues to be India’s largest smartphone assembler, holding a 20 per cent share for both domestic sales and exports. Vivo, now in a JV with Dixon, controlled 14 per cent of the market in 2024, while Oppo held 12 per cent. Chinese assembler BYD also made modest gains, increasing its share to 3 per cent in 2024 from 2 per cent in 2023.