India-made Smartphones Surge in Popularity in the Netherlands
New Delhi - In a notable shift in export dynamics, the Netherlands has overtaken the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to become the second-largest market for Indian-made smartphones, according to the latest data from India's commerce ministry.
The trend of the Netherlands surpassing the UAE started in April and has continued through August. During this period, smartphone exports to the Netherlands surged by 92% year-on-year, reaching a value of $833 million. Conversely, exports to the UAE saw a decline of 25%, totaling $777 million.
Historically, the UAE held the second position in terms of market size for Indian smartphones until the last fiscal year, with exports amounting to $2.57 billion in 2023-24, nearly unchanged from the previous year. Meanwhile, shipments to the Netherlands grew by 11% during the same period, reaching $1.18 billion.
This year, the UAE is the only major market among the top 10 export destinations for Indian smartphones that experienced a decline in shipments. In contrast, other markets like Japan and Mexico have seen significant increases, with export values rising by 180% and 153% respectively, to $129 million and $125 million.
The United States continues to be the largest consumer of Indian smartphones, accounting for 38% of total exports with a value of $2.8 billion in the April-August period, marking a 51% increase from the previous year.
Other notable growth markets include Austria, with an 89% increase in shipments to $421 million, and Italy, which saw a 60% year-on-year growth to $449 million.
The top ten export markets for Indian smartphones predominantly feature European countries, with six from Europe, two from Asia, and one each from North and South America. These markets together represent 87% of India's total smartphone exports from April to August.
This shift in market dynamics underscores the growing global demand for Indian-manufactured smartphones and highlights the strategic expansion of Indian tech companies into new territories.