India’s smartphone manufacturing base is about to get a significant new player. Gurugram-based Amber Enterprises has signed a manufacturing collaboration agreement with Oppo Mobiles India, taking on production duties for three major smartphone brands — Oppo, OnePlus, and Realme — starting in the March 2027 quarter.
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Amber Enterprises to Manufacture Oppo, OnePlus and Realme Phones: The Timeline and Numbers
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Manufacturing Partner | Amber Enterprises India |
| Brands Covered | Oppo, OnePlus, Realme |
| Trial Production | Q4 FY27 (Jan-Mar 2027) |
| Commercial Production | Q1 FY28 (starting March/April 2027) |
| Initial Output | ~8 million units |
| Second-Year Target | ~16 million units (doubled) |
| Leadership | New COO appointed for mobile vertical |
The rollout follows a phased approach: trial production kicks off in the final quarter of FY27, with full commercial manufacturing beginning right at the start of FY28. Amber has already brought on a dedicated Chief Operating Officer to lead this new mobile manufacturing vertical, signaling this is a serious, structured expansion rather than a side project.
Why This Deal Matters
The scale here is genuinely significant. Vivo and Oppo group brands — which include iQOO, Realme, and OnePlus — together commanded 45.6% of the entire Indian smartphone market in a recent quarter. Amber stepping in as a manufacturing partner for three of those brands puts it in a position to directly influence supply for nearly half the country’s smartphone market.
This also fits a broader pattern of India’s electronics manufacturing sector maturing beyond assembly-only operations. Rather than these brands relying solely on existing manufacturing partners, bringing in a company like Amber — which already has deep experience in electronics manufacturing services — reflects growing confidence in India’s capacity to handle complex, high-volume smartphone production domestically.
The Supply Chain Pressure Behind the Announcement
Interestingly, this manufacturing deal comes as Amber is also navigating real cost pressure elsewhere in its business. The company’s printed circuit board (PCB) division is seeing margin compression due to rising copper-clad laminate (CCL) costs — a squeeze the company’s leadership directly attributes to AI and data center demand pulling on the same raw material supply chains that feed consumer electronics manufacturing. Amber says it’s passing these increased costs on to customers, though with some lag, and plans to build its own CCL manufacturing plant by 2029-30 to reduce dependency on external suppliers going forward.
This is a useful reminder that the memory and component shortages driving smartphone price hikes across the industry this year aren’t limited to RAM and storage — they’re rippling into manufacturing inputs like PCB materials too.
What This Means Going Forward
If Amber hits its targets, doubling from 8 million to roughly 16 million units in the second year of operations would represent a genuinely substantial manufacturing footprint for Oppo, OnePlus, and Realme devices sold in India. It’s also a sign that BBK Electronics’ brands — which have consistently dominated India’s smartphone market — are continuing to deepen their local manufacturing commitments rather than scaling back.
For more on the manufacturing and supply chain pressures shaping the smartphone industry, check out TechnoSports’ coverage of the OnePlus Nord and N-series price hikes and the broader memory shortage affecting smartphone pricing across 2026.
Bottom Line
Amber Enterprises’ entry into smartphone manufacturing marks a meaningful expansion of India’s electronics manufacturing base, with commercial production for three major brands set to begin by early 2027. Worth watching whether the company hits its ambitious output targets, especially given the cost pressures already squeezing its existing PCB business.
Sources: Business Standard, Outlook Business
