Is Apple’s iPhone production in India more feasible than in China?

Is Apple’s iPhone production in India more feasible than in China?

India’s competitive advantage makes it a natural choice for tech giants like Apple and ensures that the government promises to produce its products and improve the “Made in India” program. According to a source on Thursday, the country has shown the value of “Made in India” to big companies like Apple. According to people close to the matter, “Apple’s investment plan in India has not changed.”

Earlier, U.S. President Donald Trump said he told Apple CEO Tim Cook that he had abandoned plans to build more manufacturing facilities in India and focused on building the plants in the United States. “Apple will increase its production in the United States,” Trump added at the conference in Doha, Qatar. In recent years, India has become a key hub for Apple’s global supply chain.

Alliance Communications Minister Jyotiradiitya Scindia said earlier this month that global tech giants such as Apple have many economic implications for building manufacturing facilities in India. “Apple has decided to purchase and produce all its phones in India in the next few years. Because when you invest in India, you choose affordability, reliability, and originality.”

Apple CEO Tim Cook recently announced that the tech giant will provide most iPhones in the U.S. market from India in the April-June quarter, while China will produce equipment for other markets. Apple achieved the highest growth of 23% among the top five brands in India in the January-March quarter, a first-quarter record of three million units, the IDC report said on Monday.

In the March quarter, the iPhone 16 was the highest-shipped model, accounting for 4% of Indian shipments in the first quarter of 2025.

Prabhu Ram, vice president of Cybermedia Research (CMR), told IANS that India is increasingly becoming a key and strategic node in Apple’s global supply chain, not only due to its growing attractive domestic market, but also expanding export capabilities and conducive to the policy environment.

“With scalable, high-quality manufacturing, skilled workforce pools and rapidly growing infrastructure, India is increasingly identifying the most viable Chinese alternative for Apple in the next decade,” he mentioned.

Although politics drives U.S.-based manufacturing, replicating Asia’s strong ecosystem capabilities and tightly integrated supply chains will remain an expensive and complex challenge.

“Most components still need to come from Asia, and any meaningful transformation requires continued investment over the next few years. In this case, India’s role will continue to deepen, enhancing its importance in Apple’s global manufacturing and distribution strategy,” RAM said.

(This story has not been edited by DNA staff and published from IANS except for the title)