Why 30% localisation an uphill task for Apple under PLI scheme in India

Apple's vendors have localised chargers, batteries, printed circuit board assembly (or PCBAs), enclosures, and coils, to name a few

India has hit a domestic value addition (DVA) of an average 20 per cent in mobile phones under the production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme, the government announced for the first time on Tuesday. Its aim, based on commitments made, is to hit 35-40 per cent by the financial year ending March 31, 2026 (FY26), which is the last year of the PLI scheme, or double this number.  

A striking feature of the figure is that Apple, which began operations in India only 22 months ago, accounted for 50 per cent of India’s $11-billion smartphone exports. Under the PLI scheme, its vendors