Apple exports record $2 billion worth of iPhones from India in November

Apple Inc clocked a new record of exporting iPhones worth $2 billion from India in November this year. This is the highest value of exports by the Cupertino-headquartered company in a month for 2025-26 (FY26).

 

As a result, total iPhone exports for the first eight months of FY26 have crossed $14 billion. All companies that are part of the production linked incentive (PLI) scheme submit their monthly figures to the government.

 

Apple’s iPhone exports in November constitute nearly 75 per cent of the total smartphone exports from the country amounting to $2.7 billion in the month. The remaining 25 per cent was contributed by Samsung (around $432 million), Padget ($48 million), and third-party exporters. Padget is part of Dixon Technologies.

 

Till FY25, Apple’s exports originated from three factories — two in Tamil Nadu, and one in Karnataka. In FY26, Apple has expanded iPhone production by adding two new factories — one each in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. Of the five factories currently producing iPhones, Tata operates three plants, and Foxconn two.

 

According to industry estimates, total smartphone exports for the April-November 2025 period reached $18.7 billion. This export figure is a whopping 43 per cent higher than the $13 billion smartphone exports from India recorded in the corresponding period of FY25.

 

India’s smartphone exports have steadily increased each year after the PLI scheme was announced in 2020. Before the scheme, India exported smartphones to the tune of $3 billion. Within a four-year period, this figure jumped to $24.1 billion in FY25. At the current pace, smartphone exports from India are expected to end FY26 closer to $28 billion, according to estimates by the government and stakeholders. The PLI scheme, however, has already ended for Samsung, and it will come to a close for Apple’s vendors by March 2026.

 

A vast majority of iPhone exports from India, according to Apple’s chief executive officer (CEO) Tim Cook, are directed to the US market. Currently, India’s smartphone exports have benefited since the same enjoy a slight advantage in tariffs over China. Chinese smartphone exports are subject to 10 per cent fentanyl tariffs imposed by the US government. According to the industry, serious efforts are underway in China to negotiate fentanyl tariffs to zero over the next few months. This would mean that India’s cost disability of between 12 per cent and 14 per cent vis-à-vis China can make India uncompetitive, at least where exports to US are concerned.

 

India currently ranks third after China and Vietnam in terms of smartphone exports and second in terms of total mobile production. By FY26, India is expected to become the second-largest exporter of mobile phones, crossing Vietnamese exports, which are currently dominated by Samsung.

FACTS & FIGURES

 

—Apple Inc hits record exports of iPhones of $2 billion in the month of November, the highest in a month in FY26

 

—It accounts for 75 per cent of the total smartphone exports in November

 

—In the first eight months of FY26, smartphone exports are estimated to have hit $18.7 billion, an increase of 43 per cent over the same period of FY25

 

—India is all set to become the second-largest exporter of mobile phones overtaking Vietnam by the end of FY26.