ISLAMABAD — Pakistan has locally manufactured and assembled 14.24 million mobile phones in the first half of 2025, while imports totaled only 0.86 million units, signaling a significant shift towards domestic production and increased self-reliance in the mobile phone sector, according to the latest Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) data cited by Gwadar Pro.
This growing trend began in 2021 when local production, fueled by Chinese companies setting up assembly plants, surpassed imports for the first time. Of the 14.24 million locally produced units in H1 2025, 7.63 million were 2G GSM keypad phones, with the remainder being smartphones. Despite smartphone availability rising, demand for affordable keypad phones remains steady, especially in rural and semi-urban areas. Manufacturers have responded by upgrading feature phones with enhancements such as longer battery life, dual SIMs, LED flashlights, wireless FM radio, and limited internet access to meet cost-conscious consumer needs.
Historically, Pakistan relied heavily on imports to meet mobile phone demand. In 2020, 24.51 million phones were imported versus 13.05 million locally produced. The introduction of the Mobile Manufacturing Policy in 2020 and PTA’s Mobile Device Manufacturing (MDM) Regulations in 2021 transformed the market by incentivizing local assembly and production.
Since then, local manufacturing has surged: 24.66 million units in 2021 (imports 10.26 million), 21.94 million in 2022 (imports 1.53 million), 21.28 million in 2023 (imports 1.58 million), and a record 31.38 million units produced domestically in 2024, with imports dropping to 1.71 million.
