Tech Desk 
Apr 25, 2025
An undated image of the a person holding iPhone. — Canva
Apple is planning to assemble all iPhones meant for the US market in India by the end of 2026, according to a report by the Financial Times.
Apple is cutting down on its Chinese manufacturing reliance owing to increased trade tensions and tariff risks under President Donald Trump's policies.
Apple shifts US iPhone production to India
Almost 90% of iPhones are produced in China. But with significant import duties and the possibility of higher tariffs, Apple is accelerating iPhone manufacturing in India.
The tech giant has already begun exporting India-produced iPhones to the US. Indian manufacturers such as Foxconn and Tata exported close to $2 billion worth of iPhones to the US during March.
To ensure there are sufficient devices on hand, Apple also deployed special cargo flights to export around 1.5 million iPhones—approximately 600 tonnes, to the US.
Apple has three facilities in India, and it has recently introduced Sunday shifts at its largest factory in Chennai in an effort to increase production.
As reported by the Financial Times, more than 60 million iPhones are sold in the US annually. To achieve this target, Apple will have to increase iPhone assembly in India more than double.
Moreover, the company's strategy can mitigate risks from future tariffs and political tensions between the US and China.
However, experts are convinced iPhone manufacturing is not coming back to the US. It would be too expensive to make phones in America, and the nation does not have sufficient trained workers to mass-produce iPhones. Analysts have estimated that a US-made iPhone would be over $3,500.
