U.S. President Donald Trump has publicly criticized Apple’s growing manufacturing presence in India, stating that he told CEO Tim Cook, “I don’t want you building in India. India can take care of themselves.” Speaking at a business event in Doha, Trump expressed concern over Apple’s shift in production away from China toward India, citing India’s high tariff rates and claiming that New Delhi had offered a deal to the U.S. to eliminate tariffs on American goods, an announcement not yet confirmed by Indian officials. Trump emphasized that Apple should focus on expanding its manufacturing operations within the United States instead.
Despite Trump’s remarks, Indian officials have downplayed the criticism, underscoring India’s rise as a global mobile manufacturing hub. Apple, which currently assembles around 15% of its iPhones in India, is continuing to expand its presence in the country, exporting nearly $2 billion worth of iPhones in March 2025 alone. Analysts warn that relocating iPhone production to the U.S. could triple prices due to higher labor and manufacturing costs, and severely disrupt Apple’s efficient, Asia-based supply chain. Apple has reassured Indian authorities that its long-term investment plans in the country remain unchanged.
His comments come at a time when Apple is rapidly increasing its production in India to diversify its supply chain amid U.S.-China trade tensions. The company currently has three operational plants in India—run by Foxconn and the Tata Group—with two more facilities in the pipeline. According to AFP, Tim Cook expects that most iPhones sold in the U.S. will soon have India as their country of origin. Apple assembled iPhones worth $22 billion in India during the last fiscal year, marking a 60% increase from the previous year, and further reinforcing India’s importance in Apple’s global production strategy despite political resistance from Washington.
(This story is published from a syndicated feed)