Apple Affirms India as Key Manufacturing Hub Despite Trump’s Warning

Apple reassured the Indian government that India would remain a key manufacturing hub for the iPhone maker, hours after US president Donald Trump stated that he did not want the company to manufacture in India, PTI reported, citing government sources.

“Apple has said that its investment plans in India are intact and it proposes to continue to have India as a major manufacturing base for its products,” a source said.

Previously, Trump stated that he had spoken with Apple CEO Tim Cook and instructed him to refrain from manufacturing Apple products in India, urging instead an increase in production within the US.

“We have Apple, as you know, it’s coming in. And I had a little problem with Tim Cook yesterday. I said to him, Tim, you’re my friend. I treated you very well. You’re coming in with US$500 billion. But now I hear you’re building all over India. I don’t want you building in India. You can build in India if you want to take care of India,” he said.

Trump iPhone Order

Trump recently stated that he had urged Cook to halt the expansion of manufacturing facilities in India, criticising the company’s plans to produce all iPhones for the US market there. Apple manufactured US$22 billion worth of iPhones in India during the fiscal year ending 31 March, representing an increase of approximately 60 % from the previous year.

“I had a little problem with Tim Cook yesterday. He is building all over India. I don’t want you building in India,” Trump told Bloomberg, referring to his conversation with Cook in Qatar, where he was on a state visit. He added that Apple would be “upping their production in the United States.”

Trump’s comments come amid rumours suggesting that Apple plans to relocate the majority of its iPhone manufacturing for the American market to India by the end of 2026. The company, which continues to rely heavily on China for manufacturing, is seeking to diversify its supply chain in response to escalating geopolitical concerns and past disruptions such as China’s stringent COVID lockdowns. The trade war and tariffs imposed by Trump earlier this year have further intensified Apple’s efforts to reduce its dependence on China.

India–US Zero Tariff Deal

Trump has once again made headlines with his recent claim about a trade deal with India, asserting that the country had offered a pact with “zero tariffs” on US goods. India countered the statement, clarifying that “nothing is decided yet.” Speaking to the media, external affairs minister S Jaishankar noted that the negotiations are complex and far from finalised.

“Between India and the US, trade talks have been going on. These are complicated negotiations. Nothing is decided till everything is. Any trade deal has to be mutually beneficial; it has to work for both countries. That would be our expectation from the trade deal. Until that is done, any judgement on it would be premature,” he said.

His clarification followed Trump’s claim that India offered a trade deal with “basically zero tariffs” on US goods. “They have offered us a deal where basically they’re willing to charge us no tariff literally,” Trump said during a news conference in Doha. He provided no specific details about the alleged deal.