iphone production in india is rapidly gaining momentum. The government's Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme, investments by big companies like Tata and Foxconn, and growing local manufacturing setup have made india an important manufacturing hub for Apple. But despite this, apple is not able to completely distance itself from China. The question is, when everything is going in the right direction in india, then why does apple still need China?
india becomes the new destination for iphone production
apple now wants to make india the next hub of iphone manufacturing. In the first five months of 2025, iPhones worth about Rs 15,000 crore have been made in india, which is almost equal to last year. Manufacturing partners like Foxconn and Tata Electronics are investing heavily in India. Foxconn plans to expand production through new plants in tamil Nadu and Bengaluru, while Tata is now on track to capture about 35% of apple production.
Why is china still not leaving?
Although manufacturing is expanding in india, china still accounts for about 75% of iphone global production. A major reason for this is China's decades-old experience in electronics manufacturing, strong supply chain and skilled labor. apple CEO Tim Cook has also praised these capabilities of China.
According to a Bloomberg report, if apple shifts even just 10% of its production out of china, it may take about 8 years. That means the level of technical capability and supply chain in india is not yet like that of China.
Why is india getting attention?
There are some important reasons behind apple increasing production in India:
Strategy to avoid US tariffs
indian government's PLI scheme and other subsidies
Rapidly growing local demand (11 million iPhones sold in 2024)
Participation of strong local partners like Foxconn and Tata
All these things are attracting apple to invest in India. At the same time, a target has been set to make most of the iPhones sold in the US in india by 2026.
Big planning of Foxconn and Tata
Foxconn is preparing to make 500 iphone 16 units every hour in india and will build a plant that will employ 50,000 people by 2027. Tata has not only stepped into manufacturing but is now also doing servicing and repairing of apple devices, which is strengthening Apple's hold in the indian market.
.jpg)
click and follow Indiaherald WhatsApp channel