India sends more iPhones to US than ever, Tata at the centre of the shift

Hindustan Times

6 hours ago

Tata Electronics has become the fastest-growing supplier for Apple globally, according to a report from Moneycontrol, which cites shipment data from Canalys. The Indian conglomerate now accounts for over a third of India's iPhone exports, positioning itself as a central force in Apple's shifting global supply chain.
From January to May 2025, Apple exported 20.4 million iPhones from India, a 57% increase year-on-year, with a remarkable 77% of those shipments headed to the United States. Tata contributed 7.5 million units during this period, up from just 13% share last year to 37% now, reflecting a rapid scale-up in production following its acquisition of Wistron's local assembly facility.
Apple's shift comes as part of a broader strategy to diversify away from China, especially amid mounting US-China tariff tensions. In recent months, a significant portion of iPhones assembled in India were routed directly to the US, bypassing import duties on Chinese-made goods. In May alone, 89% of Indian-assembled iPhones were shipped to the US, up sharply from 58% in May 2024, as reported by Canalys.
Tata's foothold has grown in parallel with Apple's manufacturing scale-up in India. Its facilities in Hosur, Karnataka, now handle assembly for the iPhone 16 and 16e and are also expanding local component production. The group is said to be doubling output of enclosures for Apple devices to meet rising export demand.
While Foxconn remains the dominant iPhone exporter from India, holding a 52% share, Tata's accelerating contribution signals a realignment in Apple's supplier strategy. Foxconn alone shipped $4.4 billion worth of iPhones from India to the US in the first five months of 2025, already exceeding its 2024 total.
Foxconn is also nearing completion of a major new facility in Bengaluru, expected to support upcoming models like the iPhone 17 Pro. In addition, it has begun AirPods production in Hyderabad, joining Tata in helping Apple shift more of its audio and smartphone hardware out of China.
India's rising role in Apple's global plans has stirred political tensions back in the United States. Former President Donald Trump, during a recent public statement, criticised Apple's offshore expansion: 'India can take care of themselves... We want [Apple] to build here.'
Despite this rhetoric, Apple's current trajectory suggests deeper integration with India. According to Moneycontrol, Apple is aiming for the majority of iPhones sold in the US to be made in India by 2026.
As production scales up and trade barriers remain uncertain, Apple's India pivot, powered by Tata's fast-growing operations, marks one of the most significant shifts in global electronics manufacturing in recent years.