New Delhi, July 17 (IANS) Apple has set a new benchmark in smartphone manufacturing in India, achieving its fastest-ever growth in iPhone production as well as exports during the first half of 2025, the government said on Thursday.
The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) took to social media platform X to celebrate the achievement, posting, “Apple harvests record iPhone output from its India orchard,” highlighting the country’s growing role in global tech manufacturing.
According to data by market research firm Canalys, iPhone production in India jumped 53 per cent year-on-year (YoY) between January and June 2025, reaching 23.9 million units.
This is Apple’s strongest ramp-up since it began assembling smartphones in the country in 2017.
The rise is seen as part of Apple’s strategy to reduce reliance on China, especially with the looming threat of higher US tariffs on Chinese goods.
Exports also followed the same growth trend, increasing by 53 per cent compared to the same period previous year, the report said.
The United States was the biggest destination for iPhones made in India, receiving 78 per cent of all exports — up from 53 per cent a year earlier.
Other markets such as the Netherlands, the UAE, the UK, and Japan saw a decline in their share of Indian iPhone shipments.
Foxconn led the charge in manufacturing, contributing more than half of the iPhones exported, according to the report.
Tata Group has also emerged as a strong player, now accounting for nearly 40 per cent of Apple’s iPhone exports from India.
Analysts say this shows better manufacturing output and growing confidence from Apple in India’s capabilities.
“This could be Apple’s earliest ever flagship production ramp-up from India,” said Sanyam Chaurasia, Principal Analyst at Canalys Omdia.
He noted that if India can match China’s production timeline, it would mark a new chapter in Apple’s global supply chain strategy.
This growth is strongly backed by the ‘Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme’ for electronics, which offers financial incentives to manufacturers for scaling up local production.
The development is also a big boost to the ‘Make in India’ initiative, which aims to position the country as a global manufacturing hub.
–IANS
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