Apple Inc. has witnessed a substantial increase in iPhone exports from India, indicating a strategic shift from China.

What Happened: Apple’s iPhone exports from India saw a 33% rise in the six months leading up to September, reported Bloomberg.

The US tech behemoth exported nearly $6 billion (around ₹50,448 crore) worth of iPhones manufactured in India, a significant leap from the previous year, unnamed sources told the business news publication. This puts Apple on course to surpass its estimated $10 billion (around ₹84,080 crore) export target for 2024.

Three of Apple’s suppliers, Taiwan’s Foxconn Technology Group and Pegatron Corp, along with India’s Tata Electronics, assemble iPhones in southern India. Tata Electronics reportedly exported about $1.7 billion (around ₹14,293 crore) in iPhones from its Karnataka-based factory between April and September.

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India has emerged as a key part of Apple’s strategy as the company looks to cut back on its reliance on China, where risks have heightened due to escalating tensions between Beijing and the US. The company is swiftly expanding its manufacturing network in India, capitalising on local subsidies, a skilled workforce and the country’s technological progress.

Despite the growth, Apple commands less than 7% of India’s smartphone market, which is primarily dominated by Chinese brands. However, the tech giant is making significant investments in the region, including the assembly of its high-end iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max models and the inauguration of new retail stores.

Apple recently is looking to hire 400 new employees for its upcoming stores in Bengaluru, Pune, Delhi-NCR and Mumbai. One of Apple’s key suppliers, Jabil is reportedly planning to invest $275 million (around ₹2,312 crore) to establish two additional plants in the country.

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