Cupertino, May 2: Apple recently shipped iPhones from India to the United States in five loaded planes ahead of Trump tariffs to control the price. The US trade war with other countries affected several industries, and many experts predicted that the iPhone price could rise amid the Donald Trump tariffs issue. Today, Apple CEO Tim Cook confirmed that the tech giant would move iPhone production from the China to India.

Apple is moving its production to India because the current tariff tension between the US and China could adversely affect the cost of the iPhone. India has lower trade rates than China, making it an ideal choice for Apple to start manufacturing locally and ship across the globe to other countries. This could also help the company control costs and provide products less affected by the Trump tariffs. Recently, Tim Cook spoke to CNBC, confirming that India and Vietnam would be the countries from where Apple would iPhones. He said that India would be the "country of origin" for a large number of iPhones that would sell in the US. Microsoft To Add Elon Musk’s Grok AI to Azure Cloud Platform Amid Ongoing Tension Between xAI and OpenAI.

Apple India Assembled USD 22 Worth of iPhones in India.

Apple is reportedly procuring half of its iPhones from India for the United States due to lower tariffs compared to China. The company assembled USD 22 billion worth of iPhones in India in 12 months till the end of March 2025. The tech giant increased its production in India by 60%.

The increase in iPhone production in India reportedly suggested that the tech giant and its suppliers were moving away from China, a process that started around the COVID-19 pandemic. Majority of India-made iPhones were assembled at Foxconn Technology Group factory located in Sriperumbudur. Tamil Nadu and Devanahalli, Karnataka. Wistron and Pegatron, both now under the Tata Group, also have assembly lines in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.

One in Five iPhones Sold in the World Is 'Made in India'

One in five, around 20% of the total iPhones, are made in India.  US President Donald Trump announced reciprocal tariffs on various countries in February 2025, which affected many industries. However, recently, the Trump administration exempted electronics goods such as smartphones, temporarily providing relief for Apple. The US government took this move to help companies avoid higher import costs and potentially prevent consumer price increases. Neuralink Receives ‘Breakthrough Device Designation’ From FDA To Help Restore Communication for People With Severe Speech Impairment, Elon Musk Congratulates Team.

Apple is diversifying its supply chain, but moving away from China remains difficult. It could potentially take eight years to shift just 10% of production away from China. India now manufactures the full iPhone range, including Pro models, backed by government subsidies. Apple holds nearly 8% of India's smartphone market, with USD 8 billion in FY24 sales.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 02, 2025 12:31 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).