Apple Defies Donald Trump's 'Not India' Warning — All iPhone 17 Models To Be Made In India

New Delhi: Apple Inc. is deepening its manufacturing push in India, with plans to assemble all models of the upcoming iPhone 17 series — including the premium Pro versions — in the country, Bloomberg reported, citing people familiar with the matter.

This marks the first time that every new iPhone variant will be produced in India right from launch, a major step in Apple’s efforts to reduce reliance on China and shield itself from escalating US tariff risks.

On May 23, 2025, Donald Trump said in a social media post that he expects Apple iPhones that will be sold in the US to be manufactured in America and “not India, or anyplace else”, threatening to put a 25% tariff on the tech company’s products if it does not comply.

Apple Ramps Up Production Of iPhones 

According to the report, Apple has spread production of the iPhone 17 across five factories in India, two of which have just begun operations.

Tata Group’s new plant at Hosur in Tamil Nadu and Foxconn’s new $2.8 billion hub near Bengaluru airport are at the centre of this expansion.

Tata, which has quickly risen as one of Apple’s fastest-growing partners, is expected to handle nearly half of India’s iPhone production within the next two years.

Foxconn, meanwhile, has already started rolling out iPhone 17 units at its Bengaluru facility, which is now the company’s second-largest iPhone factory outside China.

Scaling Up Despite Early Challenges

Foxconn’s Bengaluru plant overcame an early setback this year when several Chinese engineers left, creating a skills gap. The company quickly brought in experts from Taiwan and other regions to stabilise operations.

The new facility now runs alongside Foxconn’s existing factory in Chennai, ensuring India becomes a central hub for Apple’s global supply chain.

While Apple will assemble all iPhone 17 models in India, sources told Bloomberg that production volumes of the high-end “Pro” models will initially be smaller.

Even so, the expansion represents a milestone in Apple’s strategy to diversify beyond China, where trade tensions with Washington have heightened risks for American companies.

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Exports Surge as US Becomes Top Market

Apple’s India bet is already paying off. Between April and July this year, iPhones worth $7.5 billion were shipped from India, compared to $17 billion for the entire previous fiscal year. 

In the year ending March 2025, Apple assembled iPhones worth about $22 billion in India — a 60% jump from the year before.

The United States has emerged as the biggest destination for these exports. Data from Canalys shows that the US accounted for 78% of iPhone shipments from India by June 2025, up from 53% in the first half of 2024.

Apple CEO Tim Cook recently emphasised India’s growing role in the company’s supply chain. During a July earnings call, he revealed that a majority of iPhones sold in the US in June 2025 were made in India.

Boosting India’s Market and Global Role

Apple is expected to scale up production to as many as 60 million iPhones this year, compared with about 35–40 million in 2024–25. 

With S&P Global estimating US iPhone sales at nearly 76 million units in 2024, analysts say Apple will need to double shipments from India or reallocate devices from other markets to meet American demand.

In India itself, Apple’s presence is expanding. Shipments rose 21.5% in the first half of 2025 to 5.9 million units, with the iPhone 16 emerging as the most shipped model.

In the June quarter, Apple’s shipments in India rose nearly 20% year-on-year, giving it a 7.5% market share.