US tech giant Apple announced on Friday that it will manufacture its entire iPhone 16 lineup, including its premium devices, in India.
The Indian-made iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max will soon be available for local customers and exported to select countries worldwide.
“Apple is now manufacturing the entire iPhone 16 lineup, including iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max, in India,” said Apple in a statement.
This is the first time Apple has started manufacturing its premium devices outside China. The move to shift production from China to India is largely driven by geopolitical tensions between the USA and China. As a result, Apple aims to increase its iPhone production in India from the current 10 per cent to 25 per cent by next year.
Apple's contract manufacturers in India include Foxconn, Pegatron, and Tata Group, with Foxconn being the largest.
Apple first started manufacturing iPhones in India in 2017, initially producing older generation models such as iPhone 13, iPhone 14, and iPhone 15 series.
Financially, Apple reported Rs 68,000 crore in domestic sales for FY24 and Rs 66,000 crore in iPhone exports for FY23. Notably, most of the India-made iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max units will be exported to key markets including Europe, the Middle East, and the US.
Currently, Apple holds less than 5 per cent market share in India. However, the company dominates the export market.
The US tech giant opened its first two retail stores in India, located in Mumbai and Delhi, in 2023. Now the company plans to expand its retail presence to other cities, including Bengaluru, Pune, Delhi-NCR, and additional locations in Mumbai.
"Our stores are incredible places to experience the magic of Apple, and it’s been wonderful to deepen our connection with our customers in India,” said Deirdre O’Brien, Apple’s senior vice president of Retail.
“We’re thrilled to build our teams as we plan to open more stores in India, because we’re inspired by the creativity and passion of our customers across this country. We can’t wait for them to have even more opportunities to discover and shop for our amazing products and services, and connect with our extraordinary, knowledgable team members,” said Deirdre O’Brien, Apple’s senior vice president of Retail.
Apple has over 3,000 employees in India. Apple’s work with Indian suppliers of all sizes supports hundreds of thousands of jobs across the country.