Apple is making more iPhones in India than ever before. According to a new report from Bloomberg News, 25% of all new iPhones are now manufactured in the country. That shift marks a clear change in how Apple manages its global production.
The scale of growth is hard to ignore. Apple built an estimated 55 million iPhones in India last year. In 2024, that number was 36 million. The sharp increase shows how quickly India has become central to Apple’s supply chain.
This journey began in 2017 with the iPhone SE. A year later, Apple added the iPhone 6s to its India production lines. At first, the company wanted to avoid India’s high import duties on devices made in China. However, global tensions soon pushed Apple to think beyond tariffs.
As the US-China trade war escalated, Apple faced mounting pressure to reduce its dependence on China. Therefore, it started expanding manufacturing to other regions. India emerged as a strong alternative.
Production then picked up speed. Suppliers such as Foxconn, Tata Electronics, and Pegatron began assembling key iPhone models in India soon after their global announcements. This faster turnaround reflected growing confidence in local operations.
The iPhone 15 marked a major milestone. It was the first iPhone assembled in India and available locally from day one. That move showed Apple was ready to treat India as a front-line production hub, not a secondary base.
Meanwhile, India increased its focus on manufacturing incentives. Government-backed programs encouraged global tech firms to scale local operations. As a result, Apple’s presence expanded even further.
