Apple CEO Tim Cook’s Big Statement: Confirms iPhones Sold in the US Are Now Made in India, Boosting Local Manufacturing

Over the past few years, India has become one of the key players in the smartphone manufacturing hub. The country is steadily diversifying and strengthening its supply chain system and hence emerging as a significant hub in attracting major smartphone players like Apple, Samsung, and others.

In line with this trend, Apple CEO Tim Cook gave the biggest statement on iPhone manufacturing in India. He highlighted the fact that India’s growing manufacturing capabilities have enabled Apple’s production footprint to go beyond China. Due to this, most of the iPhones that are sold in the United States are made in India:

Here’s What Apple CEO Tim Cook Says About Made in India iPhones:

Apple CEO Tim Cook says that Apple has shifted its production strategy, and hence, the tech giant now doesn’t rely on China for production. The company’s major focuses now shift towards India, and due to this production strategy, most of the iPhones that are sold in the U.S. are being manufactured in India. The move also aligns with the Indian government’s ‘Make in India’ initiative, which encourages local manufacturing to meet both domestic and international demand.

Tim Cook says, “In terms of the country of origin, it’s the same as I referenced last quarter. There hasn’t been a change to that, which is the vast majority of the iPhones sold in the US, or the majority, I should say, have a country of origin of India.”

How India Emerged as One of the Leading Production Countries for iPhones:

Fresh market data highlights some of the most essential smartphone manufacturing influences on India. India became the largest exporter of smartphones to the US in the quarter ending June. This was the first time India accounted for 44% of total shipments, as per Canalys.

However, Vietnam, which is the major production base for Samsung, garnered second place. Not just this, it also impacted China’s production and manufacturing market. The change of strategy forced China to witness a steep decline in its share. It fell from over  60% a year earlier to just 25%, marking a major shift in global smartphone manufacturing trends.

How it’s Impacting Apple’s and the US President Donald Trump’s Relations:

The shift in strategy of making India the hub for iPhone production is also creating a rough patch between Apple and the US President Donald Trump. Trump has been expressing concerns over Apple’s manufacturing decision. He says, “I had a little problem with Tim Cook… I said to him, my friend, I am treating you very good… but now I hear you are building all over India. I don’t want you building in India.”