iPhone maker Apple has become the first company from India to export smartphones costing $1 billion (₹8,100 crores) in merely a single month, touching the destination in December 2022.

December also turned out to be a record month for the industry having a business of mobile phone exports of over ₹10,000 crores, the data revealed, according to ET.

Apple and Samsung remain the top players in exporting mobile phones from India. According to government officials, Apple succeeded Samsung to occupy the position of the leading mobile phone exporter in November and accomplished $1 billion in mobile phone exports in December.

Apple iphone

Via its three contract manufacturers, Apple is producing and together exporting iPhone 12, 13, 14 and 14+ models from India. Additionally, three manufacturers and some small Indian exporters are also reported to be exporting iPhones from India, as per the officials.

Apple’s contract manufacturers – namely Foxconn Hon Hai and Pegatron, two of them located out of Tamil Nadu, and Wistron, which is in Karnataka – are participants in the government’s smartphone production linked incentive (PLI) scheme launched in April 2020. All three manufacturers are required to submit production, exports, investments and jobs data periodically to the government as participants in the PLI scheme, as per the ET report. The government believes India is probably to export mobile phones costing about $9 billion in FY23 (which ends on March 31, 2023), up from $5.8 billion in the year prior, as manufacturers step up production and outward shipments.

Apple iphone

According to officials, the $1 billion export destination within a month turns the iPhone into the representative of the government’s excellent PLI schemes, which have been spread across 13 sectors, including smartphones. The officials additionally said that mobile phone exports might have been higher if Samsung’s unit was functioning at total capacity. The South Korean major’s production unit was shut down for 10-15 days for continuous maintenance, ultimately leading to a fall in production and exports, the officials said.

“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, wearables and wearables”, Pankaj Mohindroo, chairman, of India Cellular and Electronics Association (ICEA), reported to ET.

Apple iphone