NEW DELHI, May 15 — Apple’s investment and manufacturing plans in India remain intact, government sources confirmed, dismissing concerns raised by US President Donald Trump about the company’s expansion in the country.
Shortly after Trump publicly urged Apple CEO Tim Cook to reduce manufacturing in India and boost production in the US, Indian officials engaged with Apple executives who reassured them that India will continue to serve as a major manufacturing base for Apple products.
“Apple has said that its investment plans in India are intact and it proposes to continue to have India as a major manufacturing base for its products,” a government source said.
Trump had told reporters he was “not interested” in Apple building more plants in India despite earlier accommodating the company’s China manufacturing. “India is one of the highest tariff nations in the world and it is very hard to sell into India,” he added, contrasting this with the US offering nearly zero tariffs.
“We treated you really good,” Trump said, addressing Cook.
“Now you got to build us. We want you to build here. India can take care of themselves.”
Apple’s CEO has announced that India will supply the majority of iPhones sold in the US starting June, while China will produce most devices for other markets amid tariff uncertainties.
Currently, about 15 percent of Apple’s global iPhone output comes from India, with major manufacturers like Foxconn, Tata Electronics, and Pegatron India — a Tata Electronics majority-owned firm — involved in production. Foxconn has also started making Apple AirPods in Telangana for export.
According to S&P Global, iPhone sales in the US reached nearly 76 million units in 2024, with Indian exports hitting 3.1 million units in March 2025 alone. This suggests Apple may need to double shipments via new capacity or redirect domestic-market shipments.
“Apple’s Indian exports are predominantly heading to the US, which accounted for 81.9 percent of the firm’s phone exports in the three months to February 28, 2025, rising to 97.6 percent in March 2025,” the S&P report noted, citing a 219 percent export increase likely aimed at preempting higher tariffs.
Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced in April that iPhones worth Rs 1.5 lakh crore were exported from India in the 2024-25 fiscal year.
The Apple ecosystem in India has emerged as a major job creator, employing around 200,000 people across various vendors nationwide.
