India's own smartphone brand by 2028? Ashwini Vaishnaw says note the date

India could have its own smartphone by 2028 with homegrown design and technology at the centre of its devices. And this doesn't come from a report or a rumour; it is a statement by the Union Electronics and IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw. He has set October 23, 2028, as the target for India to have smartphones that are designed, manufactured and branded in the country.

Indian Smartphones will be here by 2028?

Speaking at the NDTV World Summit in Delhi on Friday, October 23, 2026, Vaishnaw said the challenge of developing such a phone had been given to Indian designers around three years ago. He claimed that an Indian company had already designed, manufactured and delivered a 5G smartphone to one of the largest telecom service providers in the US. The government now wants to use those capabilities to develop phones under an Indian brand, with the intellectual property retained in the country.

“This is 23 October 2026. Please note it: 23 October 2028. You will have Indian-designed, Indian-manufactured, Indian-branded mobile phones,” Vaishnaw said.

Vaishnaw also added the government had challenged Indian designers to develop smartphone hardware around three years ago. Two companies took up the challenge, according to the minister, and one of them went on to develop a design that was selected by a major US telecom service provider.

The company subsequently designed, manufactured and delivered a 5G mobile phone to the operator, with the device supplied to customers. Vaishnaw said the experience gained over approximately three-and-a-half years had helped build the capabilities needed for India's next step.

“Now, we will use that capability to have the Indian brand, Indian design, and Indian IP retained in India and that mobile phone will be one of the largest-selling,” he said.

The minister did not reveal the name of the Indian company or the US telecom operator. He also did not disclose the proposed smartphone's brand name, price, specifications or expected production volumes.

What will it take to make an Indian smartphone?

Designing a smartphone involves much more than assembling its components. The device needs to bring together its processor, memory, display, cameras, antennas, radio-frequency components and power-management systems in a compact body. These components must work together reliably without compromising performance, battery life, weight or connectivity.

Vaishnaw highlighted these engineering challenges during his remarks, pointing to the number of components that need to fit inside a phone and work together. Developing the underlying hardware design requires specialised expertise, testing and engineering capabilities.

This is also where the distinction between manufacturing a phone and owning its design becomes important. A smartphone can be assembled in India using technology developed elsewhere. Developing a phone with Indian-owned intellectual property would allow domestic companies to take greater control over the product's design and future development.

However, an Indian-designed phone would not necessarily mean every component is manufactured locally. The global smartphone industry relies on suppliers across multiple countries, and the extent of domestic sourcing for the proposed device remains unclear.