Apple exported nearly $6 billion worth of iPhones made in India in the six months to September 2024, almost 30 percent more than last year, as the iPhone maker ramps up manufacturing of iPhones in its factories outside of India. China. According to a Bloomberg report, three major suppliers (Foxconn Technology Group, Pegatron Corp and Tata Electronics) are growing it through their assembly operations in India. About 50 percent of India’s iPhones are manufactured at Foxconn’s facility in Chennai. In this series, Tata Electronics, which acquired its factory from Wistron Corp last year, contributed around $1.7 billion in iPhone exports from its Karnataka plant during the April-September period.
This increase in production has transformed India’s export landscape, with smartphones becoming the country’s top export category to the United States, reaching $2.88 billion in the first five months of the fiscal year. This represents a dramatic increase from just $5.2 million five years ago, before Apple’s manufacturing expansion in India. Apple plans to make $14 billion worth of iPhones in India during fiscal 2024, double last year’s output. The company has leveraged local subsidies, skilled labor and superior technological capabilities to establish India as a major manufacturing hub. The expansion also includes the production of premium models such as the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max. There are rumors that Apple is also considering producing AirPods in the country. Apple has also strengthened its retail presence in India, opening flagship stores in Mumbai and Delhi, with plans to open new stores in Bengaluru and Pune as well.
