Islamabad (Gwadar Pro) – In the first half of 2025, Pakistan produced and assembled 14.24 million mobile phones locally, while only 860,000 mobile phones were imported. This shift marks a significant move towards domestic mobile production and self-sufficiency.
According to the latest data released by the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), this trend of local manufacturing has grown rapidly since 2021, when several Chinese companies set up assembly plants in Pakistan, and for the first time, local production outpaced imports.
Out of the 14.24 million locally produced units in the first six months of 2025, around 7.63 million were second-generation GSM (2G) phones, commonly known as keypad phones, while the rest were smartphones. Despite the growing availability of smartphones, simple keypad phones continue to see steady demand due to their affordability and ease of use.
To meet consumer needs, manufacturers have equipped feature phones with useful specs such as long battery life, dual SIM support, LED flashlights, wireless FM radio, and limited internet connectivity—features especially attractive to budget-conscious users in rural and semi-urban areas.
Until 2020, Pakistan relied heavily on imports to meet domestic mobile demand. That year, the country imported 24.51 million phones while producing only 13.05 million locally. However, following the launch of the Mobile Manufacturing Policy 2020 and the PTA’s MDM Regulations 2021, the local industry experienced remarkable growth, encouraging companies to establish local assembly and production lines.
- In 2021, Pakistan produced 24.66 million phones locally, and imports dropped to 10.26 million.
- In 2022, local production was 21.94 million, and imports fell further to 1.53 million.
- In 2023, 21.28 million phones were produced locally, with 1.58 million imported.
- In 2024, local manufacturing hit a record 31.38 million units, with imports at just 1.71 million.
Chinese Brands Continue to Lead Local Mobile Production
Chinese mobile manufacturers have played a crucial role in transforming Pakistan’s mobile phone industry, not only boosting production but also creating thousands of local jobs. In the first half of 2025, Chinese companies continued to dominate, as reflected in the latest official data from PTA:
- VGO Tell led the local production with 1.63 million units
- Infinix came second with 1.5 million units
- Itel followed with 1.23 million units
- Vivo produced 1.2 million units
- Redmi produced 830,000 units
From South Korea, Samsung ranked sixth with 760,000 units, followed by:
- TECNO (China): 670,000 units
- G’FIVE: 640,000 units
- Nokia: 590,000 units
- QMobile: 560,000 units
