Apple now producing all four iPhone 17 models in India ahead of launch first time every new variant ships from India at launch
Production spread across five factories, including new Tata Group and Foxconn plants; Tata could make up half of India’s iPhone output within two years
Exports of India-made iPhones surged to ~$7.5B (Apr–Jul 2025), much headed to the U.S. market
Expansion part of Apple’s strategy to diversify beyond China and navigate U.S. tariffs/industrial policy
Apple has moved to expand iPhone production in India across five factories, including recently opened plants run by Tata Group and Foxconn, Bloomberg reported. The tech giant is producing all four iPhone 17 models in the country ahead of the phones’ launch next month, the first time Apple will ship every new variant from India at launch.
Tata-owned facilities in Tamil Nadu’s Hosur and Foxconn’s plant near the Bengaluru airport have come online recently.
As per the report, Tata’s plants could account for as much as half of India’s iPhone output over the next two years, underlining Tata’s growing role in Apple’s supplier mix even as Foxconn remains a major assembler.
Exports Rise
India-made iPhone exports have surged: the factory-gate value of iPhones exported from India reached roughly $7.5 billion in April–July 2025, accelerating after earlier years’ totals.
Much of that output is destined for the U.S. market as Apple shifts production to blunt the impact of tariff pressures and trade uncertainty.
Apple’s ramp-up in India ties into wider efforts to diversify supply chains from China and to respond to shifting U.S. tariff and industrial-policy dynamics. CEO Tim Cook recently pledged a $600 billion investment in U.S. operations over four years as part of efforts to secure tariff exemptions and broader political support for Apple’s global manufacturing footprint.
Operational Challenges
Apple has reported bringing engineers from Taiwan and elsewhere when needed, and some Chinese staff were repatriated after earlier moves, but company sources say production is on track.
The company is already planning to produce an iPhone 17e in India early next year and has discussions underway about iPhone 18 production, signalling a long-term commitment to the country as a core manufacturing hub.
If sustained, India’s elevation as a primary source for US-bound iPhones would reshape Apple’s geopolitical risk profile, redirect supplier investment flows, and boost India’s electronics exports and local industrial ecosystem.
Policymakers, suppliers and investors will watch capacity, localisation of components, and how Apple balances India output with its parallel U.S. manufacturing and investment commitments.
