Smartphones

How to tame the dragon: India seeks homegrown brands to take on China

The government has for the first time put together a plan to try and change the game by encouraging homegrown players to build a mobile brand

Mobile phone prices up by 16% in 2026 H1, supplies to dip in double digits

Mobile phone prices have increased by 16 per cent on average in India due to an increase in the cost of memory, with a weaker rupee adding to the woes as it made imported components more expensive for local manufacturers, market research firm Counterpoint Research said on Tuesday. According to Counterpoint Research, the overall smartphone market is expected to decline in double digits except that of Chinese mobile phone brand OnePlus because of limited increase in price. "Smartphone prices in India rose 16 per cent on average in the first half of 2026, but OnePlus kept its own increase to 8 per cent. The hikes came as memory costs climbed, pushing India's average smartphone selling price to a record USD 318 in the second quarter of 2026," the research firm said. Phones priced below 10,000 saw the sharpest hikes, around 32 per cent on average, because memory now makes up a much bigger share of what these devices cost to build. Shipments in the sub-Rs 10,000 segment fell 65 per cent Y

As smartphone prices rise, how retailers plan to keep festive deals alive

Smartphone prices have risen sharply this year, forcing retailers to balance thinner margins, cautious inventory and consumer demand for the deep festive deals they have come to expect

Rising costs slow India's 5G shift, revive demand for 4G phones: Report

Rising component and memory costs are widening the price gap between 4G and 5G smartphones, prompting manufacturers to expand 4G offerings in India's budget segment

Electronic prices rise, discounts fade: Can financing sustain festive sales

Rising component and freight costs are pushing up electronics prices, while brands turn to EMIs and exchange offers to support festive demand

Govt mandates BIS certification for smartphone screen protectors from Apr 1

The government has mandated compulsory Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) certification for smartphone screen protectors, requiring entities to secure regulatory approval before selling such products in India. The move is expected to curb sales of low-quality smartphone screen protectors and help domestic manufacturers like Optiemus Infracom, which has started production in India. "The provisions of Electronics and Information Technology Goods (Requirement of Compulsory Registration) Order, 2021, shall apply to the goods or articles as specified in column 2 (Screen Protectors for smartphones), added to the schedule of the said order by virtue of this notification, for conforming to the corresponding Indian standard as specified in column 3 IS 19348:2025), with effect from 1st April, 2027," a notification dated September 21 said. Smartphone screen protectors are the 66th item to be notified under the rule. Other items in the list include smartphones, laptops, mobile and laptop chargers

From handset to hub: Smartphone's quiet reinvention in the AI ecosystem

AI is spreading computing across watches, earbuds, glasses, cars and PCs, changing the smartphone from the primary interface into the hub connecting a growing ecosystem of devices

Optiemus Infracom zooms 20% on huge volumes as CMF expands partnership

Optiemus Infracom Share: CMF by Nothing and Optiemus Group expanded its partnership to build India's first end-to-end R&D Smartphone capability.

Nothing to spin off CMF as India-based, majority Indian-owned company

Nothing will retain a stake and remain a partner in CMF, which will have its own team and R&D operations in India, co-founder and CEO Carl Pei said

Mapping the surge: US powers record Indian smartphone exports

Shipments to the US accounted for 70 per cent of India's total smartphone export value during this period, reaching a record $9.4 billion - a 26 per cent Y-o-Y increase.

4G phones are back in India as memory costs make 5G more expensive

As memory prices nearly quadruple, India's budget smartphone market is shrinking and 4G phones are gaining ground as a cheaper option. Is this the start of a new trend?

India tops APAC in mobile threat detections as attacks turn more targeted

From fake reward apps to AI-generated messages, cybercriminals are finding new ways to target mobile users, Kaspersky analysis shows

India remains biggest foreign market for Chinese phone companies

India accounted for 34% of Vivo's global shipments in CY25 and 23% of Oppo's, while its share for Realme and OnePlus stood at 35% and 32%, respectively

Memory price surge squeezes sub-₹10,000 smartphone segment in India

Rising memory prices have crushed India's sub-Rs 10,000 smartphone segment, forcing brands to raise prices and shift entry-level models into higher price bands

Opportunities in manufacturing & semiconductor industry

In this session, industry stalwarts, S Sathish & Nikit Popli from KPMG in India talk about manufacturing, semiconductors and provide career tips to the B-Schoolers.

India’s smartphone exports are booming: Can Apple keep the momentum going?

India’s smartphone exports by value grew 23.4% year-on-year to a record $9.84 billion in the first quarter of FY27, with the US accounting for 71% of export value.

Premiumisation to lift mobile phone output, exports in value terms: IT Secy

Demand for premium mobile phones will drive handset production and export growth in value terms, aligning with the targets under the production-linked incentive scheme, a senior government official told PTI. While industry experts have projected de-growth in sales volume of mobile phones, the government, under Rs 62,500 crore Mobile Phone Manufacturing Scheme (MPMS), has projected growth in domestic production of smartphones to Rs 39 lakh crore from around Rs 11.5 lakh crore as well as double exports to Rs 15 lakh crore during the scheme period from Rs 7.5 lakh crore under production linked incentive (PLI) scheme. "There is going to be premiumization. Premiumization growth will be much heavier. Also adoption of premium phones will also double the export. Analysts are talking about the Indian market," Electronics and IT Secretary S Krishnan said. He said the production in India will also grow in volume terms as there might be shifts in production destinations by the companies. "The .

Vivo to hive off manufacturing unit to its JV firm with Dixon Technologies

Chinese mobile company Vivo plans to hive off its Noida-based manufacturing unit to its upcoming joint venture with domestic electronics manufacturing services firm Dixon Technologies and move to an asset-light business model in India, sources aware of the development told PTI. The government on Wednesday approved Vivo Mobile India's application to form a joint venture with Dixon Technologies. The approval came after about 18 months of signing a pact between the two companies. "Vivo's Noida manufacturing unit will become part of the JV and gradually the mobile company will move to an asset-light business model," a source aware of the development said. Email query sent to Vivo and Dixon in this regard did not elicit any immediate reply. Dixon Technologies will hold a 51 per cent stake in the proposed JV and Vivo Mobile India Private Limited (VMI) will hold 49 per cent stake. The JV company will carry on the business as an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) of electronic devices

Dixon-Vivo venture gets govt nod under eased Press Note 3 FDI framework

Approval marks one of the first clearances under the revised Press Note 3 regime, which allows up to 10% non-controlling ownership from land-bordering countries

Dixon-Vivo joint venture inches close to securing final govt approval

The proposed joint venture has already secured clearance from an inter-ministerial panel, with formal government approval expected soon to operationalise the partnership