India-made iPhones shine as exports cross $50 billion
India has risen to become the world’s second-largest mobile phone producer, marking a proud milestone in its manufacturing journey.
New Delhi has emerged as the centre of a quiet but significant manufacturing success story, as US tech giant Apple crossed a landmark $50 billion in iPhone exports from India by December 2025 under the government’s smartphone production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme, industry data shows.
The achievement highlights how rapidly India has positioned itself as a global manufacturing hub for high-end electronics. With three months still remaining in Apple’s five-year PLI window, industry watchers expect export numbers to climb even further. In just the first nine months of FY26, iPhone exports touched nearly $16 billion, pushing cumulative shipments under the scheme past the $50 billion mark.
The scale of Apple’s performance becomes clearer when compared with other global players. Samsung, another major beneficiary of the PLI scheme, exported devices worth around $17 billion during its five-year eligibility period from FY21 to FY25. Apple’s numbers reflect not just higher volumes, but the growing role of India in assembling premium smartphones for global markets.
At the heart of this transformation is Apple’s expanding manufacturing footprint in India. The company now operates five iPhone assembly plants across the country — three run by Tata Group entities and two by Foxconn. These facilities are supported by a supply chain of nearly 45 companies, many of them micro, small and medium enterprises supplying components used both domestically and internationally. For thousands of workers and small suppliers, this shift has translated into steady employment and new opportunities.
Driven largely by iPhone shipments, smartphones rose to become India’s single largest export category in FY25. This marks a dramatic rise from 2015, when smartphones ranked as low as 167 among India’s export items. Today, iPhones alone account for roughly 75 per cent of India’s total smartphone exports, underscoring Apple’s outsized role in reshaping the sector.
India has also reached another major milestone: it is now the world’s second-largest mobile phone producer. More than 99 per cent of phones sold in the domestic market are now made in India, a sharp turnaround from a decade ago when imports dominated store shelves. Officials say this reflects India’s steady movement up the manufacturing value chain, from basic assembly to more complex processes.
The smartphone PLI scheme is scheduled to conclude in March 2026, but the government is reportedly exploring ways to extend support. Under revised rules, companies have been allowed to claim incentives for any five consecutive years within a six-year period, offering flexibility and encouraging long-term investment.
Apple’s suppliers, along with Samsung, have also been selected under the electronics component manufacturing scheme. Samsung is expected to set up a display module sub-assembly unit, a move projected to generate employment for around 300 people and further deepen local manufacturing capabilities.
On the consumer front, Apple’s success is equally visible. According to Counterpoint Research, Apple sold around 6.5 million iPhone 16 units in the first 11 months of 2025, making it India’s highest-selling smartphone during that period. The report noted that Apple outpaced Android rivals by a wide margin, with the iPhone 15 also featuring among the top five best-selling devices.
Together, these milestones point to a larger shift: India is no longer just a market for smartphones, but a key pillar in the global electronics supply chain, with Apple’s growing presence symbolising that change.