Apple iPhone Exports from India Cross $50 Billion Under PLI Scheme
Summary
India’s iPhone manufacturing push has hit a major milestone: cumulative iPhone shipments from India have crossed the $50 billion mark under the government’s production-linked incentive (PLI) programme, reaching that level by December 2025.
Apple joined the smartphone PLI in FY22 and, with three months still left in its five-year incentive window, has already shipped nearly $16 billion worth of iPhones in the first nine months of FY26. That performance sharply outstrips Samsung’s roughly $17 billion in phone shipments from India across its five-year PLI participation (FY21–FY25).
Key Points
- Cumulative iPhone exports from India under the PLI programme exceeded $50 billion by Dec 2025.
- Apple exported about $16 billion of iPhones in the first nine months of FY26 alone.
- Apple’s exports have outpaced Samsung’s PLI-era mobile shipments (Samsung: ~ $17 billion during FY21–FY25).
- India hosts five large iPhone factories — three run by the Tata Group and two by Foxconn — supported by ~45 component suppliers, many MSMEs.
- Smartphones now make up nearly 75% of India’s total mobile exports and were India’s top export item in FY25.
- The smartphone PLI runs to March 2026; the government plans follow-on incentive support and a new framework is under discussion.
- Apple and Samsung vendors are included in a broader electronics component manufacturing scheme, with Apple-linked suppliers expected to account for a large share of upcoming investments and jobs.
- India is exporting electronic subcomponents to China and Vietnam for Apple devices, signalling a wider realignment in global electronics supply chains.
Why should I read this?
Short version: Apple has turned India into a real export powerhouse for iPhones — and that’s reshaping supply chains, jobs and manufacturing policy. If you work in trade, manufacturing, logistics or supply-chain planning, this matters. It’s not just numbers; it changes where parts move, who gets hired and which policies matter next.
Author
Punchy: This is a big one. Crossing $50bn in under four years after joining the PLI shows the scheme’s clout and how quickly multinational supply chains can be rebased. Read the detail if you want context on suppliers, policy timelines and the next wave of investments — it’s where the action will be.
Context and Relevance
The milestone highlights India’s growing role outside China as a large-scale manufacturing base for Apple. The PLI programme catalysed relocation of suppliers and rapid capacity build-up, with benefits for MSMEs, component makers and logistics networks. With the PLI window nearing its scheduled end (March 2026), policymakers are preparing a successor framework to sustain momentum. For industry watchers, this signals further investment opportunities in components, packaging, displays and battery cells — and continued changes to export flows, freight patterns and regional supply-chain links (including exports of components to China and Vietnam).