India’s telecom manufacturing sector has hit a new record with the telecom Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) in place. According to a tweet by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), the industry has generated over INR 75,000 crore in net sales. This sets a new record in the landscape of telecom manufacturing in India. The PLI scheme's boosting effect made this possible in the industry. 

In addition to the sales, the industry has achieved a net Rs 14,963 crore in exports and created over 25,000 jobs. This signifies the revolutionary impact the initiative has had on the telecom manufacturing industry after its launch in 2021 with a budget outlay of Rs 12,195 crore. The initiative has helped India become self-reliant in various telecom needs. 

Boost to Self-reliance 

According to the DoT, India has achieved 60 percent import substitution in telecom products under the PLI scheme, making the country nearly self-reliant in key segments such as antennas, Gigabit Passive Optical Network (GPON) gear—enabling point-to-multipoint networks via single optical fiber lines—and customer premises equipment (CPE), including Internet of Things (IoT) devices.

Register to attend our upcoming event focused on ICT from the 19th-21st March at: Convergence India 2025: Driving Innovation in Telecom & ICT

Technology: A Key Foreign Policy 

This initiative aligns with India's strategy to attract investments and leverage technological outreach as a key pillar of its foreign policy. Countries like Kenya, Mauritius, Papua New Guinea, and Egypt have expressed interest in Indian telecom technology.

Read about India's latest stance at MWC 2025, which happened in Barcelona from 3-6 March at: Inclusivity and Trust Guide India’s Tech Governance, Says Telecom Minister at MWC 2025, Barcelona

Scope of PLI 

It covers companies dealing in core transmission equipment, 4G/5G technologies like next-generation Radio Access Network (RAN) and wireless devices, as well as access and CPE equipment, along with enterprise solutions such as switches and routers.