Forget iPhone Duo: Ashwini Vaishnaw sets October 2028 deadline for India’s own smartphone brand
India could have its own homegrown smartphone brand by October 23, 2028, with Indian design, manufacturing and intellectual property at its core. The declaration of the objective was made during the NDTV World Summit on 23rd October 2026 by the Union Electronics and IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw. The government will expand the country’s existing hardware design skills and create smartphones that can compete with international brands like Apple and Samsung, Vaishnaw said.
The move coincides with India’s push to become a world-class smartphone maker. Vaishnaw said an Indian company had already designed and delivered a 5G smartphone to a major US telecom operator. The plan is to leverage such capabilities to develop a phone with an Indian brand, but the government hasn’t revealed its name, specifications, price tag or plans for releasing the phone.
Ashwini Vaishnaw sets an October 2028 target for Indian smartphones
Speaking at the NDTV World Summit on Friday, October 23, 2026, Vaishnaw set a two-year deadline for the proposed development.
“This is 23 October 2026. Please note it: 23 October 2028. You will have Indian-designed, Indian-manufactured, Indian-branded mobile phones,” the minister said, as reported by NDTV.
The government had challenged designers in India to create smartphone hardware about three and a half years ago, Vaishnaw said. He says two companies responded to the challenge, and one company designed a solution that was chosen by a big US telecom service provider.
The company then created, produced and supplied the operator with a 5G mobile phone. Using this experience, India would now ensure that the smartphone design and its IP would remain within its shores, Vaishnaw said.
What will it take to build an Indian smartphone?
Assembling components is not enough to develop a smartphone. Processors, memory, displays, cameras, antenna and radio-frequency systems and power-management hardware need to be integrated in a small package. Engineers also need to ensure the reliability of connectivity, efficiency of battery life and overall performance.
While talking about the proposed initiative, Vaishnaw pointed out these engineering challenges. However, he did not specify the Indian firm or the US telecom infrastructure operator that allegedly got its device.
It wasn’t to say all the parts of an Indian-designed smartphone will be made in India. The electronics industry needs to rely on international suppliers, and there is no indication of how much of the proposed phone will come from the local market.
Can an Indian brand compete with Apple and Samsung?
India has expanded smartphone manufacturing significantly, but owning a brand and its underlying intellectual property would represent a further step up the value chain.
If a homegrown competitor is to be considered for purchase, it would be required to offer competitive pricing, hardware, software support and distribution network. Apple and Samsung already have established brand and product recognition, plus impressive product ecosystems.
The current plan is for Vaishnaw to become the first commercial success in 2028, though that time frame has been pushed back from the initial 2020 timeline. The next two years will now decide whether India can shrug off its current design and manufacturing prowess and emerge as a competitive smartphone brand in the market.
