For the first time since starting domestic production in 2021, Apple Inc. saw its iPhone exports from India surpass Rs 2 lakh crore in 2025, according to industry data. The tech giant’s exports in January–December 2025 reached a record $23 billion or Rs 2.03 lakh crore, marking an increase of nearly 85% compared to 2024. Apple’s focus in India under the production-linked incentive scheme (PLI) has been on expanding iPhone exports, with around three months left before the five-year PLI window closes.
In the initial nine months of FY26, iPhone exports amounted to nearly $16 billion, pushing total shipments during the PLI period over the $50-billion milestone. In contrast, Samsung exported devices worth approximately $17 billion during its five-year eligibility period under the scheme from FY21 to FY25. Apple’s manufacturing presence in India comprises five iPhone assembly plants, three of which are operated by Tata Group entities and two by Foxconn, along with a supply chain involving about 45 companies, including numerous MSMEs supplying components for both domestic and global operations.
The significant rise in smartphone exports, driven mainly by iPhone shipments contributing about 75% of total smartphone exports, elevated smartphones to become India’s largest export category in FY25, a substantial leap from their 2015 ranking of 167 among export items. With over 99% of phones sold domestically now being Made in India, the country has become the world’s second-largest mobile phone producer, advancing up the manufacturing value chain. The smartphone PLI scheme is set to conclude in March 2026, although there are reports of the government considering ways to extend support. Under revised regulations, companies were permitted to claim incentives for any five consecutive years within a six-year timeframe.
In the first 11 months of 2025, Apple also managed to sell approximately 6.5 million iPhone 16 units, making it the top-selling smartphone in the country.
