Chinese smartphone and electronics brands are rewriting the rules of global trade. Once heavily reliant on factories in China and Vietnam, major players like Oppo, Vivo, Xiaomi, Realme, and Transsion have begun exporting smartphones and other electronics manufactured in India to key international markets, including West Asia, Africa, and the United States.
This transformation is largely driven by the Indian government’s Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme, which incentivizes local manufacturing, and by shifting geopolitical realities. After the 2020 border tensions between India and China, Chinese firms have faced increased scrutiny and informal pressure to localize operations, collaborate with Indian partners, and boost exports from Indian soil.
The result is a win-win: India moves closer to its ambition of becoming a global manufacturing powerhouse, while Chinese companies diversify their supply chains to mitigate risks from US-China trade tensions and potential tariffs.
According to recent regulatory filings, Oppo India generated ₹272 crore in export revenue during FY24, while Realme earned ₹114 crore over the same period. Hisense, a leading Chinese TV and home appliance maker, has invested ₹100 crore to expand its Andhra Pradesh facility and plans to begin exporting televisions and white goods from India to international markets by early next year.
Transsion Holdings, known for brands like itel, Tecno, and Infinix, has already started shipping smartphones from India to Africa, with plans to double its manufacturing workforce to meet growing demand.
The export surge is closely tied to partnerships with Indian contract manufacturers such as Dixon Technologies, which produces smartphones for multiple Chinese brands and has ramped up capacity by 50% to meet export demand. Lenovo and Motorola are also leveraging Indian manufacturing to export laptops, servers, and smartphones, especially to the US market. Xiaomi, in particular, is exploring options to boost exports to West Asia and aims to increase the use of Indian components in its devices to 70% within the next two years.
India’s efforts are paying off on the global stage. In the April-December period, India’s smartphone exports to the US surged by 254%, reaching $3.53 billion and making India the third-largest smartphone exporter to the US. Meanwhile, China and Vietnam—traditionally the top suppliers—have seen their market shares decline. This shift underscores India’s rising stature as a trusted export hub for global electronics.
