Apple deepens India’s role in iPhone production with massive factory expansion
New Delhi: Apple’s iPhone manufacturing in India, which began as a small-scale pilot, has now become a central pillar of its global strategy.
The journey started in 2017 following a meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and CEO Tim Cook, evolving into a network of training centres, dormitories, and factories in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.
Although China still accounts for about 80% of iPhone output, Apple plans to double India’s current 14% share within the next two years, aided by two new manufacturing hubs under construction, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Apple’s pivot towards India gained momentum during Donald Trump’s first presidential term, when Chinese-made iPhones faced tariff threats.
The urgency intensified in 2025 after the U.S. imposed a 20% tariff on iPhones made in China but exempted those assembled in India.
In the April–June quarter this year, Tim Cook said most iPhones sold in the U.S. were produced in India—a sign of the country’s rising importance in Apple’s supply chain.
According to a Moneycontrol report, Foxconn’s Sriperumbudur facility employs about 40,000 workers—over 80% of them women—operating in three eight-hour shifts.
Thousands of employees live in large dormitory complexes funded by the Tamil Nadu government, with more accommodation planned.
The state has bolstered incentives with infrastructure upgrades, manufacturing subsidies, and plans for a new airport to support the factories.
Once the two new hubs are operational, southern India is projected to employ around 150,000 people in iPhone assembly alone.
Foxconn’s Indian plants prioritise hiring women, breaking from employment norms in much of the country.
Dormitories have hostel-style rules, recreation areas, and on-site shops to reassure families and retain staff.
The approach has attracted thousands of young women from rural areas, offering them steady jobs and fuelling social and economic transformation in host communities, according to the Moneycontrol report.
Apple’s diversification strategy extends beyond India to countries like Vietnam, Malaysia, and the U.S., aimed at reducing dependency on a single manufacturing base.
However, India’s large labour pool, government incentives, and growing technical skills keep it at the forefront of Apple’s expansion plans.
Industry experts believe Apple could replicate major parts of its Chinese supply chain in India within five years, cementing the country’s place in its global production network.
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