Apple iPhone Exports from India Cross 50 Billion Dollars in Five Years
Apple has crossed a major milestone in India’s manufacturing journey by exporting iPhones worth more than 50 billion dollars from the country over a five year period. This achievement marks one of the most significant shifts in global smartphone supply chains and positions India as a critical hub for high value electronics manufacturing.
iPhone exports from India have accelerated rapidly since Apple Inc. scaled local production under the Production Linked Incentive programme in FY22. By December 2025, cumulative exports crossed the 50 billion dollar mark. In the first nine months of FY26 alone, exports stood close to 16 billion dollars, indicating that momentum remains strong even as the current PLI cycle approaches its conclusion.
Smartphones have now emerged as India’s largest export category in FY25. iPhones account for nearly 75% of the country’s total smartphone exports, underlining Apple’s central role in driving this growth. India has also become the only country outside China to manufacture iPhones at scale, reinforcing its importance in Apple’s global production strategy.
Apple’s expansion in India goes beyond final assembly. Nearly 45 companies now form part of its local supply chain, including a large number of MSMEs that manufacture components for both domestic use and global exports. This ecosystem based approach has helped deepen manufacturing capabilities and create long term supplier relationships.
At present, five iPhone manufacturing facilities operate in India, with three managed by Tata Group and two by Foxconn. This diversified manufacturing base has improved resilience, reduced concentration risk, and enabled faster scaling of exports.
While the smartphone PLI scheme is set to conclude in March next year, government officials have indicated that support for electronics manufacturing will continue through other incentive mechanisms focused on exports and scale. Industry observers note that the real inflection point has been Apple’s decision to relocate a significant part of its supplier ecosystem to India, rather than incentives alone.
This 50 billion dollar export milestone reflects India’s growing credibility in high value manufacturing and its ability to integrate MSMEs into global supply chains. It also offers a blueprint for how other global manufacturers can build large scale, export oriented operations in the country as India deepens its role in global electronics and advanced manufacturing.
– The Neo Nation