Apple is doubling down on India as a major hub for making iPhones. Foxconn, the company that builds most of Apple’s phones, just announced a $1.5 billion investment in a new plant near Chennai. The new facility will make display modules—key parts that go under the iPhone’s screen and handle touch, brightness, and color.
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This is Apple’s latest move to shift some of its manufacturing out of China, where most of its devices are still made. However, the shift is drawing criticism from U.S. President Donald Trump, who wants Apple to bring jobs back home. “We are not interested in you building in India,” Trump said last week, calling out Apple and CEO Tim Cook.
Even with that pressure, Apple is moving forward. A filing on the London Stock Exchange confirmed Foxconn’s India unit, Yuzhan Technology India, will receive the $1.5 billion investment. Two government officials told the Financial Times that the money will go toward building a display module plant at the ESR Oragadam Industrial & Logistics Park in Tamil Nadu, close to Foxconn’s existing iPhone factory.
The Tamil Nadu government has already approved the project, which is expected to create around 14,000 jobs. It’s one of the largest electronics investments India has seen so far and a big boost for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “Make in India” plan.
Apple has made big progress in India lately. In 2024, 18% of the world’s iPhones were made there, and that number is expected to hit 32% by 2025. In March alone, Apple exported 600 tons of iPhones—worth about $2 billion—to the U.S. from India.
India is now the second-largest smartphone market in the world after China. With more production coming from Foxconn, Tata Electronics, and Pegatron, Apple is counting on India to play a bigger role in its supply chain. The goal? Ship almost every iPhone sold in the U.S. from India by the end of 2026.
