Apple to source, produce all its mobile phones in India in coming years: Union telecom minister Jyotiraditya Scindia

Union telecom minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Tuesday said investment in India at present makes economic sense for every original equipment manufacturer, as he cited the example of U.S. smart devices major Apple's decision to source majority of the iPhones sold in the U.S. from the country.

Speaking at the Bharat Telecom event, Scindia said the investment in India at present is not just an act of goodwill alone but it makes economic sense for every OEM (original equipment manufacturer).

"Apple has decided to source and produce all its mobile phones in India in the years to come," Scindia said, adding that "when you invest in India, you are choosing affordability, you are choosing reliability, you are choosing originality."

Apple CEO Tim Cook during the company's recent earnings call announced that the company will source the majority of the iPhones sold in the US from India in the June quarter, while China will produce the vast majority of the devices for other markets amid uncertainty over tax tariffs.

Scindia said the telecom equipment market aided by the government's production-linked incentive scheme has witnessed multifold growth.

"Investment of ₹4,000 crore, half a billion dollars alone, has resulted in sales of ₹80,000 crore, ₹16,000 crore in exports, (and) 25,000 jobs being created. Therefore, the telecom equipment market has also grown manifold in India," Scindia said.

The minister said 4.7 lakh towers have been installed in the country with an investment of ₹4 lakh crore by telecom operators within a span of 21 months for 5G.

"Along with this 5G revolution, today this phenomenal progress that we see in India is not an accident. It is a result of the Prime Minister's vision, the capability to see the future actuated and make it a reality. It is a result of bold reforms, visionary policies, and unwavering ambitions," Scindia said.

He said India at present produces products for the world that are not only made in the country but are designed, developed and delivered from here.

Minister of State for Telecommunications Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani said India from being a large importer of mobile phones, around 2014, India has now become a large producer and exporter of mobile phones.

He said India's mobile phone industry has transformed from making 60 lakh units and importing 21 crore mobile phones in 2014 to a total production of 33 crore mobile phones in 2024 and 5 crore units of exports.

"Further, if you look around the global iPhone output, 15 per cent of that iPhone output today comes from India," Pemmasani said.

According to market research firm IDC, Apple supplied 23.21 crore iPhones across the globe.

Pemmasani said the semiconductor mission is transforming India into a global hub for electronics, system design and manufacturing.

"The establishment of semiconductor fabrication facilities on Indian soil marks a watershed moment in our technological sovereignty," Pemmasani said