New Delhi: Apple will produce all four models of the upcoming iPhone 17 in India, marking the first time the company will manufacture and ship every version of a new iPhone from the country from the outset. The move reflects Apple’s growing reliance on India as it recalibrates production away from China.
According to a Bloomberg report, production will take place across five factories, including new facilities run by Tata Group in Hosur, Tamil Nadu, and Foxconn near Bengaluru airport. These will join Apple’s existing contract manufacturing units already operating in India.
Tata, which entered iPhone assembly after acquiring Wistron Corp’s plant in Karnataka in 2023, has since expanded its role. It now holds a controlling stake in Pegatron’s unit outside Chennai and is expected to contribute up to half of India’s iPhone output within two years. Foxconn, Apple’s long-time Taiwanese partner, remains the leading contractor in the country.
The shift in Apple’s supply chain comes at a time of heightened tariff uncertainties in the United States. President Donald Trump has announced reciprocal tariffs on several countries, including India, although phones, computers and other electronics remain exempt. Earlier this month, Trump imposed a 50 per cent tariff on India in response to its purchase of Russian oil, but Apple’s iPhones have so far avoided the levies.
Meanwhile, Apple CEO Tim Cook recently announced plans to invest $100 billion in the United States, aimed at expanding the company’s manufacturing footprint domestically.
India’s role in Apple’s global supply chain is rising quickly. Data shows the country’s share in US smartphone imports climbed to 36 per cent in the first five months of 2025, up from 11 per cent in 2024. Over the same period, China’s share dropped from 82 per cent to 49 per cent.
BI Bureau
