India Targets USD 50 Billion Telecom Export Goal by 2035

With domestic telecom exports hovering at a negligible 0.3 percent of total trade, India faces a stark imbalance characterized by a reliance on Chinese components. A new NITI Aayog assessment identifies a path to reversing this dependency, proposing a framework to transform the nation into a global manufacturing powerhouse.

Editorial·August 17, 2026·reads: 1,458

India Targets USD 50 Billion Telecom Export Goal by 2035

The current trade deficit in telecommunications is stark, as the country imports up to USD 5 billion in gear annually while struggling to gain a foothold in international markets. Critical hardware, specifically 4G and 5G antenna arrays, remains tethered to supply chains dominated by Chinese manufacturers. This systemic vulnerability threatens to stifle the sector's growth potential unless domestic production scales rapidly.

To bridge this gap, the government has deployed the Production Linked Incentive scheme, a mechanism intended to catalyze local assembly and component manufacturing. NITI Aayog projects that sustained policy intervention could escalate the industry to a USD 50 billion export hub within the next decade. Achieving this milestone would fundamentally shift the sector’s role in the national economy, moving it from an import-heavy burden to a primary contributor to India's GDP.