In a significant boost to India’s manufacturing landscape, Foxconn, Apple’s primary contract manufacturer, is set to more than double its iPhone production in the country this year. The Taiwanese giant plans to roll out 25–30 million iPhones in 2025—up from approximately 12 million units assembled last year—as Apple accelerates its efforts to diversify production away from China.
Trial runs have been underway for the past few months at Foxconn’s sprawling 300-acre facility in Bengaluru, which is on track to become its second-largest plant globally after China. These trial operations aim to ensure the plant meets Apple’s exacting standards for quality and scale, sources close to the development said.
“With their Bengaluru facility progressing rapidly, Foxconn has set its sights higher in sync with Apple’s push to deepen its footprint in India,” a source told ET.
The ramp-up underscores Apple’s growing reliance on India as a key global manufacturing base. According to Isaiah Research, India’s share in global iPhone production is expected to rise from last year’s 12–16% to 21–25% this year.
Foxconn’s plans not only reflect Apple’s strategic shift but also India’s emergence as a vital node in global supply chains. Foxconn has also expanded its assembly footprint with a unit in Hyderabad dedicated to AirPods production, complementing its iPhone manufacturing hub at Sriperumbudur near Chennai.
Foxconn’s India ambitions go beyond smartphones. During his visit to India in August 2024, Chairman Young Liu emphasized the company’s intent to scale up operations across information and communication technology (ICT), electric vehicles (EVs), energy, and digital health.
“We want to move up the value chain as much as we can in India,” Liu said during the launch of an industrial housing project in Sriperumbudur. “In addition to ICT, sectors like EVs and digital health are major focus areas.”
Meanwhile, following the end of its semiconductor joint venture with Vedanta, Foxconn has partnered with HCL Group to establish a chip packaging and testing facility in India, backed by a ₹370 crore (£37.2 million) investment. The new venture is reportedly nearing government approval, with infrastructure discussions already underway with top firms including Larsen & Toubro and Taiwan’s CTCI.
This scale-up comes at a time when global manufacturers are reevaluating supply chain strategies amidst geopolitical tensions and evolving trade policies. Industry analysts note that U.S. tariff decisions, especially those initiated during Donald Trump’s presidency, continue to shape manufacturing shifts.
As Foxconn takes a bigger bite of the Apple in India, the move signals a turning point in the country’s ascent as a global electronics manufacturing powerhouse—delivering not just economic gains but also strategic depth in the tech supply chain.News Source; The Times of India
