Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
In a first for its India operations, Apple will assemble all four iPhone 17 models locally before their September debut.
Typically, the company starts assembling new iPhone models within weeks of their global launch in India.
Five Indian factories power Apple’s iPhone 17 production
Despite U.S. pressure to bring iPhone production back home, Apple has steadily expanded its manufacturing footprint in India. The U.S.-China tariff war and COVID-era supply chain disruptions have largely driven this shift. While the U.S. government recently imposed heavy tariffs on goods imported from India, Apple managed to secure an exemption for “Make-in-India” iPhones.
Now, in a major boost to its manufacturing efforts, Apple has expanded iPhone production to five factories in India. They will manufacture iPhone 17 and meet the majority of the demand for the U.S. market right from the launch.
Apple previously relied on its factories in China to meet the demand for new iPhones. Its factories in India acted as a secondary supply source.
Foxconn and Tata recently opened two new Apple factories in India, helping boost the total production capacity. Citing a source, the Bloomberg report states, “plants controlled by the local conglomerate (Tata) will account for as much as half of India’s iPhone output over the next two years.”
Tata acquired Wistron’s Apple plant in Karnataka, and it also owns a majority stake in Pegatron. Foxconn is the only other iPhone manufacturer in India.
In June, a report showed that Apple shifted almost all U.S.-bound iPhone production to India to dodge Trump tariffs.
Apple will build the iPhone 17e in India too
Apple even plans to make the upcoming iPhone 17e directly in India from the get-go. It will also soon ramp up efforts for next year’s iPhone 18 manufacturing in the country.
Apple reportedly planned to double iPhone production in India by 2026 end. But with five factories in the country already making new iPhones before launch, the company could achieve that target sooner.
