Apple Exports $10bn of iPhones from India in H1 FY26 as Local Production Ramps Up

Apple-made iPhones exported from India hit a record $10 billion in the first six months of fiscal 2026, a jump of about 75% from the same period a year earlier as the tech giant and its contract manufacturers sharply expanded local capacity, Inc42 reported.

The surge was supported by a strong September, outbound shipments that month reached roughly $1.25 billion, a year-on-year increase of about 155%, underscoring a steep month-on-month acceleration in exports.

Capacity Build-Out

Industry officials and media reports link the export jump to fresh manufacturing capacity added in April 2025.

Notably Tata Electronics’ Hosur plant and a new Foxconn unit near Bengaluru brought Apple’s India assembly network to five factories and enabled production of newer models locally. The expansion has helped shift a growing share of global iPhone assembly into India.

Reports also note that a large portion of India’s iPhone output is now destined for export. Previous data put exports at roughly 80% of India’s iPhone production in FY25 (figures reported in recent coverage).

Analysts say that rising overseas demand, especially from the US, combined with policy incentives is accelerating the transition of India into a meaningful node in Apple’s global supply chain.

US Shipments

Smartphone shipments from India to the United States climbed sharply in the April–August 2025 window. Industry group figures showed exports to the US rose to about $8.4 billion, up roughly 190% year on year, a jump analysts attribute to strategic rerouting of US-bound production amid tariff concerns and supply-chain diversification. Market watchers say Apple accounted for the bulk of the increase.

The growth follows sustained policy support under India’s production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme for mobile manufacturing and a strategic push by Apple to locally assemble its latest models, including the iPhone 17 series, from launch in India.

Officials and company comments have indicated that India is an increasing source for devices sold in the US as firms diversify manufacturing away from a China-centric model.

For India, the numbers signal more than short-term export gains: they point to a structural shift in electronics manufacturing, stronger integration of Indian plants into global value chains, and potential long-term gains in jobs and ancillary industries.