NEW DELHI — Apple’s iPhone became India’s most valuable single export item in 2025, with shipments worth about $23 billion leaving factories in the country last year, largely bound for the United States, according to industry data.
The sharp rise in iPhone exports has been driven by government-backed production incentives, including the production-linked incentive scheme, as well as Apple’s efforts to diversify manufacturing away from China, industry executives said.
Smartphones also emerged as India’s largest export category for the first time, overtaking automotive diesel fuel. Total smartphone exports reached $30.13 billion in the January–December period, with Apple accounting for about 76 percent of the total. Apple’s five-year PLI incentive window is set to conclude in March 2026.
Apple’s manufacturing presence in India now includes five iPhone assembly plants — three operated by Tata Group entities and two by Foxconn — supported by a supply chain of roughly 45 companies. Many of these suppliers are micro, small and medium enterprises that provide components for both domestic and global operations.
India has become the world’s second-largest mobile phone producer, with more than 99 percent of phones sold in the domestic market now manufactured locally, reflecting the country’s move up the electronics manufacturing value chain.
Domestic smartphone buying patterns are also shifting away from the traditional dominance of budget devices. According to a recent report by Counterpoint Research, the iPhone 16 base variant emerged as the top-selling smartphone model in India in 2025.
For the December quarter, Apple posted all-time revenue records across the Americas, Europe, Japan and the rest of the Asia-Pacific region. The company also reported strong momentum in emerging markets, including India.
“We continued to gain momentum in emerging markets, which includes India, where we saw strong double-digit revenue growth,” Apple Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook said during the company’s recent earnings call.
Cook said Apple set a quarterly revenue record in India during the December quarter, noting the country’s growing importance to the company. “India is the second-largest smartphone market in the world and the fourth-largest PC market,” he said, adding that Apple achieved quarterly revenue records for iPhone, Mac and iPad, along with an all-time revenue record for services.
Apple is scheduled to open another retail store in Mumbai on February 26. (Source: IANS)
