India prepares smartphone export incentives in a boost for Apple

India is drafting a new round of smartphone manufacturing incentives that would link government subsidies to exports and deeper use of locally made components, in a move that will benefit Apple Inc., Samsung Electronics Co. and their suppliers, according to people familiar with the matter.

The proposal — effectively a second phase of New Delhi’s flagship phone production program — will start rewarding companies for shipping devices overseas, the people said, asking not to be identified because the discussions are private. Unlike the current Production-Linked Incentive, or PLI, program which retires March 31 and is primarily focused on incremental domestic output, the new plan explicitly ties benefits to exports and localization.