From synthetic graphite to PCBs: Ashwini Vaishnaw says India is going deeper into smartphone manufacturing
Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said India is moving beyond smartphone assembly to manufacturing more components and materials used inside devices. He highlighted synthetic graphite, battery additives, acetylene black, cameras, displays, PCBs and connectors as part of the country’s deeper electronics manufacturing push.
- Sep 26, 2026,
- Updated Sep 26, 2026 6:55 AM IST
Union Electronics and IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has said India is moving beyond assembling smartphones to manufacturing a wider range of components, sub-components and materials that go into electronic devices. In a series of posts on X, Vaishnaw highlighted battery materials and other smartphone components as part of the next phase of India’s electronics manufacturing push.
“India already makes the phone. Now, we’re going deeper – manufacturing what goes inside it,” Vaishnaw wrote, describing the shift as part of the #MakeInIndia journey.
The minister said the focus is increasingly moving into the layers and materials used inside smartphones and their batteries. He highlighted lithium-ion battery cells as one area where domestic manufacturing is expanding, followed by production of materials used within the cells themselves.
One such material is synthetic graphite, which is used in the anode of a lithium-ion battery. “One of them is synthetic graphite, used in the anode. Now, this too will be made in India,” Vaishnaw said.
MUST READ: India is going deeper into smartphone manufacturing, beyond final assembly: Ashwini Vaishnaw
He also pointed to the electrolyte inside lithium-ion batteries. According to the minister, the liquid requires specialised additives that help improve battery performance and extend battery life, and these materials are also becoming part of India’s manufacturing ecosystem.
Focus on specialised battery materials
Vaishnaw also highlighted acetylene black, a material used to improve electrical conductivity within a battery.
“A material like acetylene black which helps electricity flow better inside the battery, will be made here,” he wrote. “Small material. Important job.”
The references indicate a push to expand domestic manufacturing beyond the final battery cell and into some of the specialised inputs required for battery production.
MUST READ: Semicon 2.0 draws investment commitments of ₹1 lakh crore, says IT minister Ashwini Vaishnaw
Cameras, displays and PCBs also in focus
The minister said the manufacturing expansion is not limited to batteries. India is also making more of the components used elsewhere in smartphones, including cameras, displays, speakers, coils, enclosures, printed circuit boards (PCBs) and connectors.
These components form part of the broader electronics supply chain that supports smartphone production. Vaishnaw's posts framed this expansion as a move towards greater depth in domestic manufacturing rather than simply increasing the number of finished devices produced in India.
“That’s the journey of #MakeInIndia – going deeper into the value chain,” he wrote, adding that the next stage would involve making even more components and materials domestically.
The minister's comments come as India continues to expand its electronics manufacturing ecosystem. The emphasis on battery materials and specialised components also reflects the increasing importance of supply-chain depth for smartphone and electronics production.
Vaishnaw concluded the thread by saying the journey ahead is about “making even more in India.”
Union Electronics and IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has said India is moving beyond assembling smartphones to manufacturing a wider range of components, sub-components and materials that go into electronic devices. In a series of posts on X, Vaishnaw highlighted battery materials and other smartphone components as part of the next phase of India’s electronics manufacturing push.
“India already makes the phone. Now, we’re going deeper – manufacturing what goes inside it,” Vaishnaw wrote, describing the shift as part of the #MakeInIndia journey.
The minister said the focus is increasingly moving into the layers and materials used inside smartphones and their batteries. He highlighted lithium-ion battery cells as one area where domestic manufacturing is expanding, followed by production of materials used within the cells themselves.
One such material is synthetic graphite, which is used in the anode of a lithium-ion battery. “One of them is synthetic graphite, used in the anode. Now, this too will be made in India,” Vaishnaw said.
MUST READ: India is going deeper into smartphone manufacturing, beyond final assembly: Ashwini Vaishnaw
He also pointed to the electrolyte inside lithium-ion batteries. According to the minister, the liquid requires specialised additives that help improve battery performance and extend battery life, and these materials are also becoming part of India’s manufacturing ecosystem.
Focus on specialised battery materials
Vaishnaw also highlighted acetylene black, a material used to improve electrical conductivity within a battery.
“A material like acetylene black which helps electricity flow better inside the battery, will be made here,” he wrote. “Small material. Important job.”
The references indicate a push to expand domestic manufacturing beyond the final battery cell and into some of the specialised inputs required for battery production.
MUST READ: Semicon 2.0 draws investment commitments of ₹1 lakh crore, says IT minister Ashwini Vaishnaw
Cameras, displays and PCBs also in focus
The minister said the manufacturing expansion is not limited to batteries. India is also making more of the components used elsewhere in smartphones, including cameras, displays, speakers, coils, enclosures, printed circuit boards (PCBs) and connectors.
These components form part of the broader electronics supply chain that supports smartphone production. Vaishnaw's posts framed this expansion as a move towards greater depth in domestic manufacturing rather than simply increasing the number of finished devices produced in India.
“That’s the journey of #MakeInIndia – going deeper into the value chain,” he wrote, adding that the next stage would involve making even more components and materials domestically.
The minister's comments come as India continues to expand its electronics manufacturing ecosystem. The emphasis on battery materials and specialised components also reflects the increasing importance of supply-chain depth for smartphone and electronics production.
Vaishnaw concluded the thread by saying the journey ahead is about “making even more in India.”