Apple Signals India Scale-Up to 50 Million iPhones by 2028

Apple Inc. is looking to more than double the number of iPhones it makes in India to 50 million-plus units per year by 2028, three people aware of the matter told Mint on the condition of anonymity.

- Shouvik Das

The move, which would entail significant capacity build-up at Apple's India partners, comes in the backdrop of a US-China trade standoff that threatens the company's long-standing supply chain balance. China currently accounts for 80% of all iPhone manufacturing for Apple, according to data from market researcher International Data Corporation (IDC), and India has a 10% share.

Earlier on Friday, a report by Financial Times said that Apple could make all iPhones bound for the US market in India by next year, amounting to 60 million units in volume.

"This would be an exaggerated target—ramping up a stable supply chain and doubling capacity does not happen within mere months," one of the people said. "There is, however, a clear understanding at Cupertino that Apple's India production plans are now on steroids after US president (Donald) Trump's volatile foreign trade policies and the China situation."