Apple first company to export phones worth $1 bn in a month from India

iPhone maker Apple has become the first company to export smartphones worth $1 billion (Rs 8,100 crore) in a month from India, a report by The Economic Times (ET) said. December saw India’s highest mobile phone exports, valuing over Rs 10,000 crore.

Apple and Samsung have been the leading mobile exporters, with Samsung at the top. But in November, Apple overtook Samsung to become the highest exporter from India. It currently manufactures iPhones 12, 13, 14 and 14+ in India.

The production of these phones is undertaken by three contract manufacturers Foxconn, Wistron and Pegatron. Some other small exporters also export iPhones, the report added.

The manufacturing facilities of Foxconn and Pegatron are both located in Tamil Nadu. Wistron’s facility is in Karnataka. These are the participants in Centre’s production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme.

Government officials told ET that the total exports would have been higher if Samsung’s production unit had been working at full capacity. It was closed for about 15 days in December for regular maintenance.

The achievement is being seen as the success of the PLI scheme.

“Mobile exports are the beacon of the government’s visionary PLI schemes. Lowering input tariffs, starting with the upcoming Union Budget, is critical to keeping India’s smartphone exports competitive and growing. We are also urging the government to formulate similar schemes for components, hearables and wearables”, Pankaj Mohindroo, chairman of India Cellular and Electronics Association (ICEA), told ET.

According to data from the commerce ministry, exports of electronics goods in April-December 2022 reached $16.67 billion, 51.56 per cent higher than $10.99 billion during the previous year.