India’s iPhone Export Boom Crosses $50 Billion as Manufacturing Push Pays Off

Apple’s iPhone exports from India crossed $50 billion by December 2025, driven by the government’s PLI scheme. With strong FY26 shipments, India has become a major global manufacturing hub for Apple. Smartphones are now India’s top export, and continued policy support aims to sustain growth in devices and components manufacturing.

Apple Inc. has crossed a major milestone in India, with iPhone exports from its local manufacturing partners exceeding $50 billion by December 2025. The surge follows the company’s participation in India’s smartphone production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme, which began in the financial year 2021–22, according to data reviewed by The Economic Times.

With three months still left in Apple’s five-year eligibility window under the scheme, export numbers are expected to climb further. Officials familiar with the figures said that in just the first nine months of FY26, Apple shipped nearly $16 billion worth of iPhones overseas, pushing cumulative exports during the PLI period beyond the $50 billion mark.

Samsung, Apple’s closest global competitor in smartphones and another major participant in the PLI initiative, exported close to $17 billion worth of mobile devices over its applicable five-year period, from FY21 to FY25.

Government Support Set to Continue

Questions sent to Apple and Samsung seeking confirmation of export figures under the PLI framework did not receive responses before publication.

At present, Apple’s manufacturing footprint in India includes five iPhone assembly plants—three run by Tata Group entities and two by Foxconn. These facilities anchor a wider supplier ecosystem of around 45 companies, many of them micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), producing components for both domestic use and global exports.

Driven largely by iPhone shipments, smartphones have emerged as India’s single largest export category in FY25. This marks a dramatic rise from 2015, when the category ranked 167th among export items. iPhones alone now account for roughly three-quarters of the country’s total smartphone exports.

Although the smartphone PLI programme is scheduled to conclude in March next year, government officials have indicated that policy support for the sector will not end there. Discussions are underway with industry stakeholders to design a successor framework that continues to incentivise manufacturing.

“There is still a competitive disadvantage for Indian manufacturers compared to countries such as China and Vietnam,” an official said. “Recognising this, the government intends to keep supporting the industry.”

Apple’s Shift Changes the Game

While India did export mobile phones even before the PLI scheme, officials note that exports gained real momentum only after the programme was launched. A key turning point was Apple’s decision to shift a significant part of its supply chain to India, making it the only country outside China where iPhones are manufactured at scale.

Samsung stood out among the scheme’s 10 beneficiaries as the only company to complete its five-year term by FY25. It was able to do so because it already had manufacturing capacity in place and met production targets in the scheme’s first year, FY21. Apple, on the other hand, was still building factories at the time. Pandemic-related disruptions and strained India–China relations also prevented Apple and other manufacturers, including Dixon Technologies, from meeting early targets. This led the government to extend the overall scheme duration by one year.

Under revised terms, companies were allowed to claim incentives for any five consecutive years within the six-year window. Samsung opted for FY21–FY25, while Apple and other participants chose FY22–FY26.

Component Manufacturing Gets a Boost

To sustain growth beyond smartphone assembly, Apple’s suppliers and Samsung have also been brought under the electronics component manufacturing incentive scheme. Samsung plans to manufacture display module sub-assemblies in India, a move expected to generate around 300 additional jobs.

Apple’s supplier network is set to play an even bigger role. Five of its vendors have been selected in the second phase of the scheme and are projected to account for more than 60% of the total investment and employment generation. Major players include Motherson, Tata Electronics and Foxconn, which will produce iPhone enclosures. Amperex Technology Limited (ATL) will manufacture lithium-ion cells, while Hindalco Industries will focus on aluminium extrusion.

Earlier reports have also highlighted a symbolic shift in global supply chains, with India beginning to export electronic components to China and Vietnam for use in Apple products such as MacBooks, AirPods, Apple Watch, Pencil and iPhones—a reversal of traditional manufacturing roles.

Together, these developments underscore how Apple’s expanding presence has reshaped India’s electronics manufacturing landscape, positioning the country as a key hub in the global smartphone supply chain.