Apple’s iPhone: Under the PLI program exports from India surpass $50 billion
Apple’s iPhone: According to industry statistics, US tech giant Apple reached a significant milestone under India’s smartphone production-linked incentive (PLI) system when its iPhone shipments surpassed $50 billion by December 2025.
With three months left in Apple’s five-year PLI window, the number is anticipated to increase even further. iPhone exports reached around $16 billion in the first nine months of FY26, surpassing $50 billion in total sales throughout the PLI era.
Apple’s manufacturing base in the nation comprises five iPhone assembly factories — three managed by Tata Group businesses and two by Foxconn — backed by a supply network of roughly 45 firms, including several MSMEs producing components for local and worldwide operations.
Smartphones climbed from its ranking of 167 among export products in 2015 to become India’s single biggest export category in FY25, mostly due to iPhone sales, which accounted for over 75% of all smartphone exports.
Over 99% of phones sold domestically are now made in India, making it the second-largest manufacturer of mobile phones in the world. India is now at the top of the industrial value chain.
Although the government is allegedly looking on methods to extend funding, the smartphone PLI plan is set to expire in March 2026.
Under amended guidelines, corporations were able to claim incentives for any five consecutive years within a six‑year period.
Under the electronics component manufacturing strategy, Samsung and Apple’s suppliers were also chosen. Samsung plans to build a display module sub-assembly facility, which is anticipated to create jobs for around 300 workers.
According to a recent survey, Apple sold over 6.5 million iPhone 16 devices in the first 11 months of 2025, making it the best-selling smartphone in the nation.
According to the Counterpoint Research analysis, Apple surpassed its Android competitors within the same time frame. The iPhone 15 also made it to the top five best-selling list, but the discrepancy is glaring, according to the research firm’s statistics.