Key points
- Apple’s iPhone exports from India rose ~63% to $7.5B in Apr–Jul (vs $4.6B a year ago).
- India’s total smartphone exports hit a record $10B in the first four months of FY26, up >52% YoY.
- Apr–Jun FY26 smartphone exports touched $7.72B, up >58% YoY.
- Industry estimates: Apple shipped ~$6B worth of iPhones in the quarter via contract manufacturers, ~82% YoY growth.
- Foxconn begins iPhone 17 production at new Bengaluru facility; plant is its second-largest iPhone unit outside China.
- Apple targets 60M iPhones made-in-India this year (vs 35–40M in FY25); production value in FY25 estimated at ~$22B, up ~60%.
- Tim Cook: India’s role rising; a majority of iPhones sold in the US in June 2025 were India-made.
- Electronics output in India grew from $31B to $133B over the past decade; Q1 FY26 electronics exports up >47% YoY.
New Delhi: Fresh industry data shows Apple’s iPhone exports from India surged to about $7.5 billion in April–July, a sharp rise of nearly 63% from $4.6 billion in the same period last year. This momentum helped lift overall smartphone exports to a new high of roughly $10 billion in the first four months of FY26, up more than 52% from about $6.4 billion in the comparable period of FY25.
Within the first quarter (Apr–Jun) of FY26, smartphone exports reached roughly $7.72 billion an increase of more than 58% compared to the year-ago window signaling sustained quarterly strength rather than a one-off monthly spike.
Apple’s ramp-up: exports, production and US sales link
Industry estimates indicate Apple exported about $6 billion worth of iPhones in the quarter through its contract manufacturers an ~82% year-on-year uptick that underscores the iPhone-maker’s accelerated shift of production lines and export volumes to India.
Apple is expected to scale India-made iPhone output to around 60 million units this year, up from roughly 35–40 million units in FY25. For the financial year ending March 31, 2025, India-produced iPhones were valued near $22 billion approximately a 60% jump from the prior year driven by new lines, smoother yields, and broader model coverage.
Tim Cook recently emphasized India’s rising role in Apple’s global supply chain, noting that a majority of iPhones sold in the US in June 2025 were manufactured in India an indication that India-made units are not only powering exports to third markets but also directly feeding Apple’s largest market.
Foxconn’s Bengaluru plant: strategic scale outside China
Foxconn has commenced iPhone 17 production at its new Bengaluru factory, an investment of about $2.8 billion (~Rs25,000 crore). The site is Foxconn’s second-largest iPhone production facility outside China, created to deepen geographic diversification, support faster model transitions, and add export capacity ahead of peak demand cycles.
The new capacity, along with existing Chennai operations and broader vendor ecosystems (EMS, modules, enclosures, batteries), is enabling Apple and its partners to grow both volume and value-add in India.
Macro tailwinds: Make in India and electronics export growth
Under the Make in India push and Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) schemes, India’s electronics manufacturing has expanded from roughly $31 billion to $133 billion over the last decade. In Q1 FY26 alone, electronics exports were up more than 47% year-on-year, reflecting strong global demand, competitive unit economics from Indian plants, and maturing local supply networks.
Why this matters
- Supply chain diversification: India is emerging as a key node in Apple’s “China+1” strategy, mitigating geopolitical and logistics risk.
- Export engine: High-value smartphone exports are helping narrow trade imbalances and bring in forex.
- Jobs and ecosystem: Rising domestic value-add boosts local component ecosystems, skilling, and ancillary industries.
- Consumer implications: Larger local production can improve availability and potentially stabilize pricing over time, especially on new models.
- Policy validation: The boom validates PLI/electronics policies, encouraging further capex by global OEMs and suppliers.
What to watch next
- Model mix shift: How much of the iPhone 17 family is India-made at launch versus a phased ramp.
- Local value-add: Movement on key components (batteries, camera modules, PCBs) to deepen domestic content.
- Export destinations: Share of US/EU/Gulf markets served directly from India.
- New entrants and expansions: Additional supplier parks and investments from lens, display, and semiconductor ecosystem players.
- Policy updates: Next phase of PLI and state-level incentives aimed at upstream components and advanced packaging.
