Apple’s iPhone exports from India jump 82pc to USD 6 bn; total exports USD 7.72 bn

New Delhi: India’s smartphone export momentum has hit a record high in the April–June quarter (Q1FY26), with shipments reaching $7.72 billion, up 58 per cent from $4.9 billion in the same period last year, according to reports.

During the quarter, Apple Inc. exported $6 billion worth of iPhones through its contract manufacturers, representing an 82 per cent increase from the previous year, the reports stated.

This quarter was not only Apple’s top period, but it also saw the highest quarterly export total of smartphones from India. Almost 78 per cent of all smartphone exports during the quarter came from Apple alone.

The Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) programme, which was introduced in 2020 and has greatly increased local manufacturing, is the reason for this increase, the reports said.

India exported $3.1 billion worth of smartphones in FY21. By FY25, that amount had increased to $24.1 billion, of which $17.5 billion came from Apple.

In Q1FY26, India’s total electronics exports reached $12.4 billion, up 48 per cent year over year. Up from 58 per cent in the same quarter last year, smartphones accounted for 62 per cent of this, highlighting the transition from simple assembly to value-added electronics manufacturing, according to the media reports.

Other significant contributors include Padget Electronics, a Dixon Technologies subsidiary, which exported $175 million worth of smartphones, and Samsung, which contributed 12 per cent of smartphone exports.

Import duties on national security grounds could result from a current US investigation under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act, which is expected to conclude by August 14.

Global supply chains could be disrupted by any such action. According to the reports, smartphones, which were ranked 167th in India’s export list in FY15, are now the nation’s top export item by HS code in FY25, demonstrating India’s increasing power as a global centre for electronics manufacturing, the reports highlighted.