Apple’s India Push: Tata, Foxconn Ramp Up iPhone Manufacturing

SUMMARY

A new Tata Electronics plant in Tamil Nadu’s Hosur started operations in “recent days” to make older iPhone models on one assembly line

Foxconn’s $2.6 Bn plant on the outskirts of Bengaluru, which will manufacture iPhone 16 and 16e models, will commence initial operations with one assembly line within days

The Foxconn plant, which will be completed by December 2027, will likely employ 50,000 people at full capacity

As the US’ tariff war casts a shadow over its manufacturing hub China, Apple’s pivot to India is gaining further momentum. The big tech major’s new iPhone manufacturing facility in Tamil Nadu has reportedly commenced production, while another unit in Karnataka will kick off shipments in the next few weeks.

As per Reuters, a new Tata Electronics plant in Tamil Nadu’s Hosur started operations in “recent days” to make older iPhone models on one assembly line.

Meanwhile, Foxconn’s $2.6 Bn under-construction plant on the outskirts of Bengaluru will also commence initial operations with one assembly line within days. As per the report, the factory will manufacture iPhone 16 and iPhone 16e models and will have a capacity of producing around 300-500 units per hour.

The Foxconn plant is expected to employ 50,000 people at full capacity. The construction of the unit is expected to be fully completed by December 2027.

The report, citing sources, said that the two units are part of Apple’s broader strategy to boost manufacturing beyond its main hub China, which has been hit by the US tariffs.

This comes at a time when the Cupertino-based big tech giant has stepped up production in India to beat tariffs and shipped around 600 tonnes of iPhones worth $2 Bn to the US in March. Tata and Foxconn units in India reportedly clocked record production last month, with the latter alone accounting for smartphone shipments worth $1.3 Bn.

Foxconn Steps Up India Game

As per a separate report by news agency PTI, the Taiwanese electronics major more than doubled its revenue in India to over $20 Bn in FY25. On the back of increased production, the company is said to have increased its total employee count in India by over 65% to around 80,000 in FY25.

“Foxconn revenue in India has more than doubled to over $20 Bn in the financial year 2024-25. The employee count has also gone over 80,000,” the publication quoted a source as saying.

The developments come close on the heels of reports that Apple is planning to shift the entire assembly of iPhones sold in the US to India by as early as next year. The big tech major has pushed the pedal on its India pivot to reduce its dependence on China and offset the blowback from the escalating tensions and trade wars between Beijing and Washington DC.