NEW DELHI– Apple will assemble all models of its upcoming iPhone 17 series in India, including the high-end Pro versions, marking the first time the company has produced every new variant outside China. The move underscores Apple’s strategy to diversify its supply chain, reduce dependence on Chinese manufacturing, and guard against the risks of U.S. tariffs.
According to industry sources, production of the iPhone 17 has been distributed across five Indian factories, two of which only recently began operations. While output of the Pro models will be more limited, the expansion reflects Apple’s growing confidence in India as a manufacturing hub.
Tata Group’s new plant in Hosur, Tamil Nadu, and Foxconn’s massive new facility near Bengaluru airport are central to the effort. Tata, which has quickly emerged as one of Apple’s key partners, is expected to handle nearly half of India’s iPhone production within the next two years. Foxconn, meanwhile, has begun rolling out iPhone 17 units at its $2.8 billion Devanahalli plant near Bengaluru, its second-largest iPhone factory outside China, operating alongside its Chennai unit.
Apple’s India push has already delivered results. Between April and July, iPhones worth $7.5 billion were exported from the country, compared to $17 billion during all of the previous fiscal year. In the year ending March, Apple assembled iPhones valued at about $22 billion in India, a 60 percent jump from the year before. Production is expected to scale up to 60 million iPhones in 2025, up from 35–40 million in 2024–25.
CEO Tim Cook highlighted India’s importance during Apple’s July earnings call, noting that a majority of iPhones sold in the United States in June 2025 were made in India. Analysts say the expansion has boosted India’s standing as a global manufacturing base, especially with S&P Global estimating U.S. iPhone sales at nearly 76 million units in 2024. To meet that demand, Apple will either need to double shipments from India or reallocate devices from other markets.
Apple is also strengthening its position in India’s domestic smartphone market. Shipments rose 21.5 percent in the first half of 2025 to 5.9 million units, with the iPhone 16 topping sales charts as the most shipped model. In the June quarter alone, shipments grew nearly 20 percent year-on-year, giving Apple a 7.5 percent share of the Indian market.
Industry observers view the Bengaluru factory’s launch and the broader manufacturing shift as a landmark step in Apple’s long-term diversification strategy. (Source: IANS)
