Apple has crossed a major export milestone under India’s smartphone production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme, with iPhone shipments from the country exceeding $50 billion by December 2025, according to industry data.
The figure is set to climb further as three months remain in Apple’s five-year incentive window.
During the first nine months of FY26 alone, iPhone exports were valued at nearly $16 billion, taking cumulative shipments during the PLI period beyond the $50-billion mark.
The scale of Apple’s performance stands out when compared with peers.
Samsung, the other major beneficiary of the scheme, exported smartphones worth about $17 billion during its five-year eligibility period from FY21 to FY25.
Apple’s growing manufacturing base in India includes five iPhone assembly facilities — three operated by Tata Group companies and two by Foxconn — supported by a supplier ecosystem of around 45 firms.
Many of these are MSMEs producing components for both domestic use and global exports.
The surge in iPhone exports has played a decisive role in transforming India’s export profile. Smartphones emerged as the country’s single largest export category in FY25, with iPhones accounting for nearly 75 per cent of total shipments.
This marks a dramatic shift from 2015, when smartphones ranked 167th among India’s export items.
India has also strengthened its position as a global manufacturing hub, becoming the world’s second-largest mobile phone producer.
More than 99 per cent of handsets sold in the domestic market are now manufactured locally, reflecting India’s move up the electronics value chain.
The smartphone PLI scheme is scheduled to end in March 2026, though the government is understood to be examining options to continue policy support.
Under revised guidelines, companies were permitted to claim incentives for any five consecutive years within a six-year window.
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Apple’s suppliers, along with Samsung, have also been approved under the electronics component manufacturing scheme.
Samsung is expected to set up a display module sub-assembly unit in India, which could create around 300 jobs.
On the market front, Apple continued to strengthen its position in India in 2025.
The company sold around 6.5 million units of the iPhone 16 in the first 11 months of the year, making it the country’s top-selling smartphone model, according to Counterpoint Research.
The report noted that Apple outperformed Android rivals during the period, with the iPhone 15 also featuring among the five best-selling smartphones.
