ICEA refutes misleading claims, says smartphone exports surge 39% in August

ICEA said historical data supports this trend: over the past five years, August and early September have consistently recorded the lowest export volumes.

The India Cellular & Electronics Association (ICEA) has dismissed recent reports that shipments to the U.S. are in decline.  ICEA said exports are, in fact, surging and warned against drawing conclusions from month-on-month comparisons.

ICEA, which represents Apple, Foxconn, Dixon, Motorola, Oppo and Vivo, rejected this view. It said U.S. shipments more than doubled year-on-year in August 2025, rising 148% to $965 million. For April–August FY26, exports touched $8.43 billion—nearly 80% of FY25’s full-year total and a 193% jump over the same period last year.

“Every export sector has its particular nuances based on multiple factors. Oversimplification of trade data—and worse, inferences based on monthly comparisons—is misleading and avoidable,” said Pankaj Mohindroo, Chairman, ICEA.

Overall, India’s smartphone exports hit a record ₹1 lakh crore (about $11.7 billion) in the first five months of FY26, up 55% from $7.6 billion in the year-ago period, according to ICEA. The body added that August and September are traditionally the weakest months due to model transition cycles, plant retrofitting, and diversion of output to meet festive-season demand in India. Shipments typically rebound from October and peak during the holiday sales period in Western markets, covering Thanksgiving, Black Friday, Christmas and New Year.

ICEA said historical data supports this trend: over the past five years, August and early September have consistently recorded the lowest export volumes. New models launched in late September and October cause global buyers to hold back purchases, while discounts on older models only begin once fresh devices hit the market. Meanwhile, manufacturers temporarily scale back production for retrofitting, and in the run-up to Diwali, companies prioritise the domestic market before resuming exports.

The smartphone sector has been India’s best-performing export category since the rollout of the Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme, rising from 167th place in FY15 to the country’s top export by FY25. ICEA said supportive policies, electronics clusters, tariff rationalisation, and global supply chain realignment are now placing India at an inflection point in its emergence as a global electronics manufacturing hub.