Apple's India Harvest Unspoiled

Apple's iPhone manufacturing in India under the government's smartphone PLI scheme remains firmly on track despite US President Donald Trump's latest proposal for a 100% tariff on semiconductor chips imported from countries that do not manufacture—or plan to manufacture—in the US.

- RISHI RAJ

While the sweeping proposal has created uncertainty across global tech supply chains, Apple remains unaffected, at least for now.

The reason being that Trump's tariff framework includes a key exemption for companies already manufacturing in the US or actively setting up operations there—criteria that Apple meets squarely.

Under CEO Tim Cook, the company has committed an additional $100 billion to its US investments, taking its total planned spend to $600 billion over the next four years.

This includes the American Manufacturing Programme (AMP), which aims to establish a comprehensive domestic silicon supply chain—from R&D to chip packaging.

This massive investment is expected to insulate Apple from future policy disruptions like the one Trump has signaled, ensuring that its manufacturing operations in India—which now account for 20% of global iPhone production—remain unaffected.