Apple Expands India Production, Assembles 55 Million iPhones In 2025
CHENNAI- US tech giant Apple has increased iPhone production in India by about 53 percent in 2025, assembling around 55 million units compared with 36 million a year earlier, according to reports.
A report from Bloomberg said the tech giant now makes about a quarter of its flagship products in India as it seeks to avoid tariffs on China.
Apple produces about 220–230 million iPhones annually worldwide, with India’s share rising rapidly, primarily due to government-supported production-linked incentives, the report mentioned.
The subsidies have helped offset structural cost disadvantages such as weaker supply chains and logistics challenges compared with China.
The Cupertino-based company now assembles all versions of the iPhone 17 lineup in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, including the Pro and Pro Max models, through suppliers Foxconn Technology Group, Tata Electronics, and Pegatron Corp. Older models such as the iPhone 15 and 16 continue to be built locally for domestic sales and export.
Apple is also expanding its retail footprint, with its store count at six, and is preparing to launch Apple Pay in India later this year, as sales in the country have surged past $9 billion.
As Apple’s five-year PLI window is scheduled to end in March 2026, the company, along with Samsung and others, is discussing with New Delhi a new round of incentives to sustain export growth.
Analysts noted that while India has narrowed the cost gap with China and Vietnam, electronics assembly remains more expensive, making government support indispensable to sustain competitiveness.
Apple’s iPhone became the most valuable export item from India in 2025, with around $23 billion worth of devices shipped from factories in the country, mostly to the United States, according to industry data.
Smartphones were India’s top export category for the first time, with a total of $30.13 billion worth of exports in the January–December period. Apple accounted for 76 per cent of total smartphone exports. (IANS)
