New Delhi: US technology major Apple has crossed a significant milestone under India's smartphone Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme, with iPhone exports from India surpassing $50 billion by December 2025, according to industry data.

The export figure is expected to rise further, with three months still remaining in Apple's five-year PLI eligibility window. During the first nine months of FY26, iPhone exports stood at nearly $16 billion, taking cumulative shipments during the PLI period beyond the $50-billion mark.

In comparison, Samsung exported devices worth around $17 billion during its five-year participation in the PLI scheme between FY21 and FY25, highlighting Apple's rapid scale-up in India.

Apple's manufacturing ecosystem in India now includes five iPhone assembly plants, three operated by Tata Group entities and two by Foxconn, supported by a robust supply chain of around 45 companies, including several MSMEs supplying components for both domestic and global markets.

Driven largely by iPhone shipments, which accounted for about 75 per cent of India's total smartphone exports, smartphones emerged as the country's largest export category in FY25. This marks a sharp rise from 2015, when smartphones ranked 167th among India's export items.

India has also become the world's second-largest mobile phone producer, with over 99 per cent of handsets sold domestically now manufactured locally. Officials said the country has steadily moved up the electronics manufacturing value chain.

The smartphone PLI scheme is scheduled to conclude in March 2026, though the government is reportedly exploring options to extend policy support. Under revised guidelines, companies were allowed to claim incentives for any five consecutive years within a six-year period.