New Delhi– India is increasingly being positioned as Apple’s most strategic and viable alternative to China, as the U.S. tech giant continues to deepen its manufacturing footprint in the country, according to informed sources.
Despite recent remarks by former U.S. President Donald Trump urging Apple CEO Tim Cook to shift manufacturing back to the United States, sources close to the matter confirmed there has been “no change in Apple’s investment plans in India.” The company remains firmly committed to the ‘Make in India’ initiative.
“India has demonstrated to major global players like Apple the value of manufacturing locally,” a source familiar with the matter said Thursday.
Trump, during a meeting in Doha, Qatar, claimed he had advised Apple to abandon plans for new facilities in India in favor of domestic U.S. production, stating, “Apple will be upping its production in the United States.” However, industry insiders suggest such a shift would be both complex and cost-intensive, given Asia’s entrenched supply chain dominance.
India’s role in Apple’s supply chain has grown significantly in recent years, positioning the country as a global manufacturing hub. Earlier this month, Union Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia highlighted the economic logic behind Apple’s India strategy.
“Apple has decided to source and produce all its mobile phones in India in the coming years,” Scindia said. “When you invest in India, you choose affordability, reliability, and originality.”
Apple CEO Tim Cook recently confirmed that the company plans to source the majority of iPhones for the U.S. market from India during the April–June quarter of this year, while China will continue to supply devices for other regions.
The company’s performance in India has also shown impressive growth. According to IDC, Apple shipped a record 3 million iPhones in the January–March quarter of 2025 — its best first-quarter performance in India. The iPhone 16 was the top-selling model, accounting for 4% of overall smartphone shipments in the country during the quarter.
Prabhu Ram, Vice President at CyberMedia Research (CMR), told IANS that India is not only a growing domestic market but also a vital export base for Apple.
“India is becoming a critical and strategic node in Apple’s global supply chain — thanks to scalable, high-quality manufacturing, a skilled labor force, and favorable policy reforms,” said Ram. “It is Apple’s most credible long-term alternative to China for both assembly and exports.”
He added that while U.S.-based manufacturing is being encouraged politically, replicating Asia’s tightly integrated supply chain and cost efficiencies in the U.S. would be an expensive and long-term endeavor.
“Most components would still need to be sourced from Asia,” Ram noted. “India, therefore, will continue to play a central role in Apple’s global manufacturing and distribution strategy for the foreseeable future.” (Source: IANS)
