While iPhone 16 and 15 models dominated volumes, early momentum for the iPhone 17 series fuelled the surge. | Photo Credit: EVGENIA NOVOZHENINA/Reuters

Sce surge in India’s Apple iPhone exports in October further cements the country’s position as a key manufacturing hub for the tech giant.

India exported 3.44 million units of iPhones in Oct 2025, a 40 per cent month-on-month growth from the units exported in September and a 20 per cent year-on-year growth compared to October 2024, data sourced from technology market analyst firm Omdia, show.

The US held the biggest share of 61 per cent of iPhone exports from India, as Foxconn and Tata continue to ramp up their manufacturing expertise and serve the US markets. The UAE (at around 704,000 units) continues to grow as a replenishment ahead of holiday cycles.

October saw a sharp rise in India’s iPhone exports to Russia compared to previous months, analysis showed.

iPhone 17 lift

While the iPhone 16 and 15 models held the bulk of the share among all iPhone variants exported, the positive reception to the new iPhone 17, along with the pre-holiday season demand in the US and other Western markets, drove exports, said Sanyam Chaurasia, Principal Analyst at Omdia. “Apple’s October surge reinforces India as the backbone of its global iPhone shipments for Q4,” he added.

The initial sales of the new iPhone 17 and 17 Pro Max models have surpassed those of their previous variant by a significant margin, and are expected to be the tech giant’s star model in the coming months.

Analysts note that rising iPhone exports from India signal the country’s strategic rise in Apple’s global supply chain despite the trade wars. Chaurasia earlier told businessline that India’s major EMS players are ramping up, with Foxconn and the Tata Group leading the charge in iPhone production and export. A growing ecosystem of allied iPhone products, such as display modules, is also helping create a holistic Apple smartphone supply chain in India.

Smartphone export boom

On an overall basis, India’s smartphone exports stood at 6.63 million units, a 26 per cent month-on-month growth driven by the pre-holiday season, Omdia data showed. On a year-on-year basis, this represented a 14 per cent growth. Apple and Samsung contributed around 88 per cent of all exports.

India exported around 2.84 million Samsung phones in October 2025, a robust 30 per cent y-o-y growth. “Samsung’s export flow remains heavily Europe-centric, with Austria, Germany, and Spain forming the core. Samsung’s production mix in India is scaling well, reflected in a solid YoY increase and steady MoM gains,” said Chaurasia.

Published on November 21, 2025