In an impressive stride for the local tech industry, Pakistan manufactured over 13 million mobile phones in the first five months of 2024, this remarkable achievement highlights the growth and potential of the country’s mobile phone manufacturing sector, which has seen huge developments in recent years.
Local Production Dominates Imports: Pakistan Manufactured Over 13 Million Mobile Phones Between January and May 2024
Between January and May 2024, Pakistan’s local manufacturing and assembling plants produced 13.08 million mobile handsets, a stark contrast to the mere 0.76 million units imported commercially. This trend highlights the increasing capacity and capability of local production facilities. In May alone, 2.23 million mobile handsets were manufactured locally compared to only 0.11 million imports.
The locally manufactured 13.08 million mobile phones included 4.98 million 2G handsets and 8.1 million smartphones. According to data from the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), smartphones now make up 61 percent of mobile devices on the network, while 39 percent are 2G handsets.
Achievements in Local Manufacturing
Despite facing challenges such as restrictions on the opening of letters of credit (LCs) for mobile phone accessories, which affected imports and local manufacturing, the industry has shown remarkable resilience. In 2023, local manufacturing saw a slight decline of about four percent. However, commercial imports of mobile handsets increased during this period. Comparing past years, local plants produced 21.28 million handsets in 2023, slightly down from 21.94 million in 2022 and 24.66 million in 2021. Meanwhile, commercial imports rose from 1.53 million in 2022 to 1.58 million in 2023. This mixed trend reflects both the challenges and opportunities within the sector.
Overall, the achievement of manufacturing over 13 million mobile phones in the first five months of 2024 marks a milestone for Pakistan’s mobile industry, showcasing its growing capability and resilience in the face of global and domestic challenges.
Also read: Samsung in talks with investors to set up a mobile manufacturing unit in Pakistan
