iPhone Exports from India Hit Record ₹2 Trillion

iPhone exports from India hit a record ₹2 trillion in FY26, the final year of the government’s smartphone PLI scheme. That figure alone made up over 75% of the country’s total smartphone exports, which reached roughly ₹2.6 trillion ($29.4 billion) for the year. To put it in perspective, iPhones outperformed India’s second-biggest export category in the first 11 months, automotive diesel fuel at $14.53 billion, by a wide margin.

This jump didn’t happen overnight. Just a few years back, in FY22, Apple’s iPhone shipments from Indian factories stood at a modest ₹9,351.6 crore. The numbers climbed steadily: ₹44,269.5 crore in FY23, ₹85,013.5 crore in FY24, and then a big leap to ₹1.5 trillion in FY25. In the final stretch of the PLI period (covering April to February data for FY26), exports surged another 33% year-on-year, even as geopolitical tensions and tariff worries rattled global supply chains.

Apple’s Big Bet on India Pays Off

Apple has quietly become one of the brightest success stories of the “Make in India” push. Its contract manufacturers, Tata Electronics and Foxconn, now contribute almost equally to the export numbers. Together, they run some of the largest manufacturing facilities in the country. One smaller plant employs over 19,000 people, while the largest employs more than 42,000. Notably, more than 70% of the workforce in these facilities is women, bringing real diversity and new opportunities to local communities.

When you zoom out to the full ecosystem, including over 40 domestic component suppliers and non-Chinese partners like Japan’s TDK and several Taiwanese joint ventures, the total employment linked to Apple’s India operations touches around 250,000 jobs. Suppliers have invested in in-house training programs to skill up workers, helping build a more robust local manufacturing base that doesn’t rely heavily on Chinese components.

This growth aligns with Apple’s broader “China+1” strategy. India has gone from virtually zero iPhone exports five years ago to becoming a key export hub, shipping a huge chunk of devices, mostly to the US market. In calendar year 2025 (CY25), reports pegged iPhone exports at around $23 billion (roughly ₹2.03 trillion), reinforcing the momentum seen in financial year data. Cumulative iPhone exports under the PLI period have already crossed the $50 billion mark by late 2025.

What the PLI Scheme Achieved

The Production Linked Incentive scheme for large-scale electronics manufacturing was designed to boost local production and exports while reducing dependence on imports. For smartphones, it offered incentives tied to incremental output and has been widely credited with accelerating Apple’s shift toward India.

Apple’s partners not only met but significantly exceeded the original production targets under the scheme. The policy helped create a virtuous cycle: more assembly lines, deeper localisation, better supplier networks, and rising exports. Domestic companies and MSMEs gained from technology transfer and new business opportunities in the supply chain.

Despite headwinds like global trade disruptions, the sector showed resilience. Smartphones emerged as India’s top export category in 2025, with Apple’s contribution making iPhones the single most valuable exported item that year, ahead of traditional leaders like diesel fuel, diamonds, and pharmaceuticals.

Beyond the Current PLI

The smartphone PLI scheme is wrapping up in March 2026, but the conversation has already moved to what comes next. Industry players and government officials have hinted at a possible second phase or extension that could put even more emphasis on higher localisation, deeper value addition, and sustained exports.

Tata Group continues to invest aggressively, recently infusing fresh capital into Tata Electronics and expanding its role through stakes in facilities like Pegatron’s India unit. Foxconn is scaling up its massive plants in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, with ambitions to create tens of thousands more jobs. These moves suggest confidence that India’s manufacturing story with Apple has legs beyond the initial incentive window.

For everyday Indians, this milestone means more than export dollars. It translates into stable factory jobs in regions that need them, skill development for young workers (especially women), and a growing ecosystem of suppliers that can support other electronics manufacturing too. Rural and semi-urban areas near these plants have seen indirect economic benefits through ancillary services, housing, and local businesses.

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A Human Story of Transformation

Behind the trillion-rupee figures are real people. Women who found dignified employment in high-tech assembly lines. Engineers and technicians are trained to handle precision manufacturing that once seemed out of reach. Small component makers who scaled up to become part of a global premium brand’s supply chain. Apple’s decision to keep Chinese firms largely out of its Indian ecosystem has also opened doors wider for Indian and other international players.

Of course, challenges remain, rising competition, the need for even higher localisation to move beyond assembly, and global economic uncertainties. But the trajectory is clear: India has proven it can handle complex, high-value manufacturing at scale.

As the final year of the original PLI scheme closes on this high note, the focus is shifting from “can India do it?” to “how much further can it go?” With continued policy support, private investment, and a committed workforce, the coming years could see India not just assembling iPhones but playing a much bigger role in the entire value chain.

This record-breaking export performance stands as a powerful example of what targeted incentives, industry partnerships, and determined execution can achieve. For a country aiming to strengthen its position in global manufacturing, the iPhone story offers both inspiration and a practical roadmap.