New Delhi: In a landmark achievement for India’s manufacturing sector, Apple’s iPhone has officially emerged as the country’s largest single-branded export product. Fresh data from the Ministry of Commerce and Industry reveals that iPhone exports breached the monumental ₹2 lakh crore mark in the first 11 months of FY26, solidifying India’s position as a premier global electronics hub.
According to the ministry’s figures for the April-February period, India’s total smartphone exports reached approximately ₹2.6 lakh crore. Within this high-growth segment, the iPhone’s dominance is unmistakable, commanding a staggering share of over 75%.
This trajectory highlights Apple’s strategic and successful shift toward making India its primary manufacturing base, moving away from its traditional reliance on other regions. The scale of this growth is further evidenced by the fact that iPhone exports, valued at approximately $22 billion, have now outpaced traditional high-value export sectors.
The smartphone giant has successfully overtaken automotive diesel ($14.53 billion), diamonds ($11.23 billion), and pharmaceuticals ($9.98 billion) in terms of export value, marking a significant structural shift in India’s trade profile. This success story is a direct result of the central government’s Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme.
The growth trajectory has been exponential; from a modest ₹9,351.6 crore in FY22, exports surged to ₹85,013.5 crore in FY24, eventually surpassing ₹1.5 lakh crore in FY25. The current fiscal year has maintained a robust 33% annual growth rate, reflecting the rapid scaling of local operations.
Apple has also meticulously reshaped its supply chain to favor Indian entities while largely excluding Chinese firms from the local ecosystem. The network now integrates over 40 Indian companies alongside major global partners.
Tata Electronics and Foxconn remain the primary manufacturers in India, with both entities contributing nearly equally to the record-breaking export figures recorded this year. Beyond the economic milestones, the Apple ecosystem has become a vital engine for job creation, supporting roughly 2,50,000 jobs across the country.
Notably, the initiative has championed gender diversity, with over 70% of the total workforce in these units being women. Large-scale manufacturing facilities operated by Tata and Foxconn alone now employ upwards of 42,000 individuals, showcasing the massive socio-economic impact of the brand’s Indian expansion.
