Apple assembled US$22 billion worth of iPhones in India in the 12 months ended March, increasing production by nearly 60 per cent over the previous year in a sign of continued diversification away from China.
The Cupertino, California-headquartered company now makes 20 per cent, or one in five, of its prized iPhones in the South Asian country, according to people familiar with the matter who asked not to be identified as the information isn’t public. The dollar figure represents the devices’ estimated factory gate value, rather than the marked-up retail price.
The ramp-up suggests the iPhone maker and its suppliers are accelerating a pivot to India from China, a process it began when harsh Covid lockdowns hurt production at Apple’s largest plant. The bulk of India-made iPhones are assembled at Foxconn Technology Group’s factory in southern India. Tata Group’s electronics manufacturing arm, which bought Wistron and controls Pegatron’s operations, is also a key supplier.
Apple did not respond to a request for comment outside of regular business hours.
Of the total India production, Apple exported 1.5 trillion rupees (S$23 billion) in iPhones from the region in the fiscal year through March 2025, the nation’s technology minister said last Tuesday (Apr 8).
Shipments of iPhones from India to the US accelerated after US President Donald Trump announced his plans for the so-called “reciprocal” tariffs in February, the people said. Apple’s average India production and exports surged all through the fiscal year to March.
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Apple will increasingly prioritise iPhones from the India supply chain for its US customers, Bloomberg News reported previously.
The Trump administration late Friday exempted electronics goods including smartphones and computers from its reciprocal tariffs. That’s good news for companies such as Apple and Nvidia, though the reprieve doesn’t appear to extend to Trump’s separate 20 per cent duty on China, applied to pressure Beijing to crack down on fentanyl.
This also means iPhones made in India will not attract any duties at the moment. Barring the exceptions made on Friday, Trump’s cumulative levies on China remain at 145 per cent, and will likely force companies such as Apple to intensify their supply chain shift.
But with nearly 200 suppliers and an overwhelming reliance on China, moves to other countries could take years to play out. Despite Trump’s ambition to have iPhones made in the US, Apple is unlikely to move production there any time soon due to factors including a shortage of facilities and labour needed to produce the devices.
Apple’s chief executive officer Tim Cook has often praised China’s high-level of skill in making its marquee devices. In 2022, Bloomberg Intelligence estimated it would take eight years to move just 10 per cent of Apple’s production capacity out of China.
Apple now assembles its entire iPhone range in India, including the more expensive titanium Pro models. Its manufacturing success in the world’s most populous nation is also helped by state subsidies tied to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ambition to turn the country into a manufacturing hub.
Modi is also seeking to widen electronics component manufacturing with US$2.7 billion in new financial incentives, and is focused on advancing its semiconductor ambitions.
Apple has a nearly 8 per cent market share in India’s smartphone market, where its sales – a bulk of those from iPhones – reached almost US$8 billion in fiscal 2024. BLOOMBERG
