Motorola, made up of Lenovo, exported 1.6 million smartphones that operate on the Android operating system from India in the first five months of 2025, with 99% of those who go to the United States, according to data from the Canalys market study company. He had exported 1 million units in 2024.
Motorola, which makes phones through the manufacturer of Indian contracts Dixon Technologies, was historically addressed on the American market almost entirely from China, which since April has been struck by an American rate of 55% against 26% of levy in India, said industry experts. Smartphones, however, were temporarily excluded from the so-called reciprocal rates, but uncertainty over American policy persists.
Korean Major Samsung, the other company that exports smartphones to the United States from India, sent 945,000 smartphones during the period of January, against 645,000 in the previous 12 months, according to Canalys. The United States has led a rate of 46% on Vietnam, the Samsung’s main export center for the American market. The prices are currently on a 90 -day break while Vietnam negotiates a trade agreement.
“We are expanding the capacity of 50% compared to our current levels for our anchor client (Motorola) to respond to their increased order book, a large part of it will be due to exports to North America (United States) in light of the evolving geopolitical scenario,” said Dixon MD ATUL LALL during a recent profit call.
Motorola and Samsung did not respond to the request for comments from and. Although Samsung and Motorola increased exports to the United States as well as other India markets, Apple is by far the largest exporter of smartphones in general – and to the United States – India.
Government
Smartphones’ brands also accelerate India exports to Africa and water in the middle of government pressure to transform the country into a global manufacturing center for smartphones, triggered by the production program linked to production (PLU). Dixon, Samsung and Apple Foxconn and Tata Electronics manufacturing partners receive incentives as part of this program.
According to Canalys, smartphones exports crossed 35 million units during the period from January to May. Apple represented 20.5 million of these units, 80% of which went to the United States.
The brands had exported around 60 million units in 2024, with Apple by counting half. Samsung and Motorola were the other major exporters.
An industry expert said that Samsung, Motorola, Transtion and HMD Global (which makes more and more smartphones from India for the Nokia brand, stimulated by the PLP program which makes them overall competitive on costs and allow them to export to markets that offer sufficient capacity.
Canalys said that Samsung, which realizes alone and through the Dixon contract manufacturer, is on the right track to meet, or even exceed, its export volumes of 2024, having almost reached the brand halfway by May 2025. The company exported 25.3 million smartphones in 2024 and May 2025, the company has already exported 11.4 million combined.
Samsung still leads to exports (among Android brands), but its growth becomes stable as the destination markets change due to tariff uncertainties, said analyst of the chaurasia chaurasia channels. “Motorola emerges as a surprise engine, double its exports linked to the United States.”
The Infinix, Tecno and Itel transaction brands have also increased exports. Dixon acquired majority participation in the manufacturing activities of transaction in May of last year.
Lall of Dixon said he had a solid export order book to African markets where transmission has a market share of more than 80%. The company also envisages Google Pixel phones exports, which it manufactures in India.
The market leader in India smartphones, the Chinese brand Vivo, has also exported small volumes from India. The company has exported around 350,000 combined in 2024 and has already sent 250,000 combined until May this year, mainly in Thailand and Malaysia.
Vivo, who has moved to a larger production installation following a strategic manufacturing partnership with Dixon, is likely to expand exports this year.
The brand emails remained unanswered.
Disadvantage of China
Some market trackers believe that the Chinese brands of India remain much lower compared to Apple and Samsung.
“Chinese brands do not have access to American markets, and India is in fact their largest market outside China. They also get more incentives and better costs when exporting China. It does not have much economic sense for them to export India,” said an analyst to be named.
He added that the general margins in the manufacture of mobile phones are around 2 to 3% in India, but due to export incentives in China, the margins are much higher for Chinese brands.
