Korean media: India's iPhone production surges, exports exceed $50 billion over the past five years!
On February 1, South Korean media "Herald Economic" published an article stating that India is rapidly emerging as a key production base for Apple iPhones. Over the past five years, the scale of iPhones produced and exported from India has exceeded $50 billion. This growth is considered the result of India's tax incentive policies and Apple's strategy of diversifying its production bases.
According to local Indian media reports, in the first nine months of the 2026 fiscal year (April 2025 to March 2026), iPhone exports reached approximately $16 billion, making the cumulative exports since 2021 exceed $50 billion. The final export data has not been fully tallied yet.
As of April 2025, India accounted for about 20% of global iPhone production. Notably, since the U.S. imposed tariffs, 97% of the iPhones produced in India by Apple have been exported to the United States.
This data is based on the cumulative export volume of iPhones since Apple joined India's Production Linked Incentive (PLI) program in 2021. The PLI program lasts for five years, measured in India's financial year (April to March of the following year), and Apple officially started benefiting from the incentives from 2022.
Not only Apple, but also Samsung Electronics has benefited from the PLI program. Samsung Electronics exported smartphones worth approximately $17 billion from India between the 2021 fiscal year and the 2025 fiscal year.
Apple has been producing iPhones in India since 2017, but initially, the main goal was to supply the Indian domestic market. This was to comply with India's "local production obligation" regulations. However, analysts point out that Apple's strategic positioning has undergone significant changes recently, as iPhones manufactured in India have become an important export target, especially the U.S. market.
Ashwini Vaishnaw, Minister of Railways, Telecommunications, and Information Technology in India, said: "The $50 billion in exports is an important milestone. The government's 'Make in India' initiative has increased electronic production sixfold over the past 11 years."
Although former U.S. President Trump urged Apple not to expand its production scale in India, the Indian government continues to offer various incentives to retain Apple. Although the U.S. retaliatory tariffs have also affected India, Apple still believes that manufacturing in India has advantages.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1855911210823692/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author.