India Emerges as Apple's Strongest Contender to Replace China in Supply Chain

India's increasing manufacturing strength remains a big draw for international tech giants such as Apple, who has reaffirmed its dedication to the nation's 'Make in India' mission.

Sources close to the situation indicated that the America-based technology giant remains committed to its investment strategy and views India as a crucial component of its production drive.

"There is no shift in Apple's investment strategy in India," affirmed individuals who are closely related to the operations of the company, despite the recent comments of U.S. President Donald Trump.

President Trump, while undertaking a recent business visit in Doha, had mentioned that he had asked Apple CEO Tim Cook to revisit plans for increasing production in India and instead focus on establishing manufacturing units within the United States. "Apple will be increasing its production in the United States," Trump added.

Though, in the past couple of years, India has been gradually establishing itself as a key player in Apple's international supply chain. This was highlighted recently by Union Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, who pointed out that India is increasingly becoming a good option for large technology companies.

Apple has made a decision to source and manufacture all its mobile phones in India in the coming years. Because when you invest in India, you are opting for affordability, you are opting for reliability, you are opting for originality," Scindia said.

Apple. CEO Tim Cook recently made it known that the company will be producing about the majority of iPhones to be sold in the U.S. market in the coming April to June quarter from India, while China will serve other markets.

Apple's momentum in the Indian market is also reflected in recent performance figures. According to figures from IDC, Apple recorded the strongest growth rate among the top five smartphone vendors in the country during the January–March quarter, registering a record three million units shipment in Q1 2025. The iPhone 16 was the most shipped model, accounting for 4% of the total smartphone shipments during this time.

Industry analysts second Apple's growing dependence on India. Prabhu Ram, Vice President at CyberMedia Research (CMR), informed IANS that India is emerging as a key hub in Apple's global manufacturing and export network.

"With scalable, high-quality manufacturing, a pool of skilled labor, and fast-evolving infrastructure, India is increasingly emerging as Apple's most feasible alternative to China for assembly and exports in the next decade," he said.

Despite U.S. intentions to increase local production, specialists warn that replicating Asia's highly developed supply chain efficiencies within American soil would be a task of great challenge and cost. Ram pointed out that essential components would continue to have to come from Asia, and any material change in production would require long-term and consistent investment.

Here, India's engagement will further intensify, solidifying its significance in Apple's global value manufacturing and distribution strategy," Ram concluded.