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Photo: Cult of Mac
Apple could further expand its iPhone manufacturing efforts in India over the next two years. This shift would likely occur if newly-elected US President Donald Trump implements heavy tariffs on Chinese imports.
India is already the second major iPhone production hub for Apple outside China.
Trump might force Apple to make even more iPhones in India
Prior to COVID, Apple relied heavily on China to manufacture iPhones, MacBooks, and other devices. To meet local demand, it opened its first iPhone manufacturing facility in India in 2017. However, with the pandemic disrupting its supply chain, Apple decided to diversify its production hub away from China.
Since then, the company rapidly expanded its manufacturing facilities in India through Foxconn and its other vendors. Apple is now making more iPhones in India than you might think, with the company’s local sales also soaring to new highs.
Now, a report from the Economic Times claims Apple could ramp up iPhone production in India to over $30 billion annually within the next two years—twice its current capacity. This will happen if US President Donald Trump fulfills his campaign promise of imposing heavy tariffs on Chinese imports. Apple’s manufacturing expansion in the country could create an additional 200,000 jobs.
Apple currently assembles around $15-16 billion worth of iPhones annually in India, which accounts for 12-14% of its total iPhone production.
Apple’s presence in India will only grow in the coming years
In his first term as president in 2017, Trump’s actions soured US-China relations, leading to a trade war and import tariffs. Demand for premium iPhones is expected to grow in the coming years, and Apple will not want import tariffs to derail its growth.
Besides focusing on manufacturing expansion, Apple is also looking to expand its retail footprint in India. The company opened two Apple Stores in the country in 2023. Recently, it confirmed plans to open four more stores by 2025 in Bengaluru, Pune, Delhi, and Mumbai.