India is set to emerge as a major hub for iPhone manufacturing as US smartphone giant Apple looks to diversify production units outside China. Industry executives and analysts expect the percentage of locally made iPhones to rise to over a fifth of total output in value in the next three to four years, from the current 5% level.

According to industry executives and analysts, manufacturing in India for the Cupertino-based major is set to rise sharply as the company's three contract manufacturers - Foxconn, Pegatron and Wistron - ramp up production and subsequently exports, driven by the government's ₹41,000-crore production linked incentive (PLI) scheme.

Apple has been gradually working towards moving a larger pie of iPhone manufacturing to India amid geopolitical tensions between China and the US. The company is said to have accelerated its plans to make the shift from China after Covid-induced lockdowns disrupted production at Foxconn facilities in the country.

Pro Models in Focus; Foxconn's plant in Zhengzhou, China is the largest manufacturing unit for iPhones in the world.

Last month, noted Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo in a tweet said Foxconn would accelerate the expansion of capacity at its India plant. "As a result, iPhones made by Foxconn in India will grow by at least 150% on-year in 2023, and the medium/long-term goal is to ship 40-45% of iPhones from India (versus the current 2-4%)," Kuo said.