New Delhi: India has taken a significant step in the global electronics supply chain by exporting electronic components to China and Vietnam for the first time.
This milestone marks a role reversal, as India has traditionally been a net importer of such components.
The exports, meant for manufacturing Apple products like MacBooks, AirPods, Apple Watch, Apple Pencil, and iPhones, underscore Apple’s efforts to diversify its supply chain beyond China.
Several Apple suppliers in India, including Motherson Group, Jabil, Aequs, and Tata Electronics, are manufacturing mechanical components, such as enclosures, for all Apple products except iPads.
These components are then exported to assembly plants in China and Vietnam to be integrated into final products.
Apple’s decision to expand domestic procurement beyond iPhone manufacturing is expected to boost India’s electronics industry. Industry experts view this move as a crucial step towards creating a robust component ecosystem in India.
Historically, India has imported most of its electronic components from China and Vietnam, but with this shift, the country is positioning itself as a key player in global electronics manufacturing.
Industry analysts predict that India’s component exports could reach USD 35-40 billion by 2030. To further accelerate this growth, the Indian government is set to introduce a production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme exceeding USD 3 billion for component manufacturing.
Mechanics, which are essential structural components that house motherboards and processors in electronic products, require sophisticated engineering and high-precision machinery.
The involvement of top-tier Indian manufacturers and global suppliers setting up local operations reflects Apple’s confidence in India’s manufacturing capabilities.
Among Apple’s suppliers, Jabil has started producing mechanics for AirPods from its Pune facility, while Aequs in Hubbali, Karnataka, has begun manufacturing components for MacBooks.
Tata Electronics, Apple’s first Indian supplier for mechanics, has expanded its production capacity to include exports to China. The latest addition to Apple’s supply chain is Motherson Group, which is now manufacturing enclosures for iPhones.
This development follows Apple’s record-setting export of iPhones worth over Rs 1 lakh crore from India in 2024. As Apple continues to shift its manufacturing operations outside China, its growing supplier network in India, including companies like Sunwoda (battery packs), Foxlink (cables), and Salcomp (coils, power packs, and magnetics), highlights the country’s increasing significance in the global electronics landscape.
