📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Photo: Bernard Gotfryd - Edited from tif by Cart
Technology
India launches Rs 62,500‑crore mobile scheme, urges Apple to broaden local production
✍️ ThePrint
🗓 22 Aug 2026, 11:39 AM
👁 3
The government has approved a Rs 62,500‑crore scheme to boost mobile manufacturing and has signalled its expectation that Apple will expand its Indian factories beyond iPhone assembly.
New Delhi – The Union Cabinet has formally notified a Rs 62,500‑crore mobile manufacturing scheme aimed at strengthening India’s domestic handset ecosystem. The programme, part of the broader "Make in India" push, will provide financial incentives, tax benefits and infrastructure support to manufacturers that set up or expand production facilities in the country.
In the same announcement, officials indicated that Apple, which currently assembles iPhones in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, is expected to diversify its Indian operations to include other product lines such as iPads, Macs or wearables. The move is intended to deepen the tech giant’s supply‑chain footprint and reduce reliance on imports.
Industry analysts project that the scheme could attract billions of dollars of foreign investment and generate thousands of jobs across the electronics sector. The government has set an initial target of achieving a 30‑percent share of global mobile production by 2030, with periodic reviews to monitor progress.
The notification also outlines a phased rollout of subsidies, beginning with a pilot phase for companies that meet specific localisation criteria. Companies that comply will be eligible for up to 30 percent of capital expenditure support, subject to performance benchmarks.
Stakeholders welcomed the initiative, noting that a clear policy framework and predictable incentives are crucial for scaling up high‑value manufacturing in India.
In the same announcement, officials indicated that Apple, which currently assembles iPhones in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, is expected to diversify its Indian operations to include other product lines such as iPads, Macs or wearables. The move is intended to deepen the tech giant’s supply‑chain footprint and reduce reliance on imports.
Industry analysts project that the scheme could attract billions of dollars of foreign investment and generate thousands of jobs across the electronics sector. The government has set an initial target of achieving a 30‑percent share of global mobile production by 2030, with periodic reviews to monitor progress.
The notification also outlines a phased rollout of subsidies, beginning with a pilot phase for companies that meet specific localisation criteria. Companies that comply will be eligible for up to 30 percent of capital expenditure support, subject to performance benchmarks.
Stakeholders welcomed the initiative, noting that a clear policy framework and predictable incentives are crucial for scaling up high‑value manufacturing in India.