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India Manufacturing Shift | By PeanutsChoice | Citizen of Europe
A decade ago, if you looked at the back of your phone, there was a 90% chance it said “Made in China.” That era is ending.
Today, tech giants like Apple from California to Seoul are setting up shop in India—and not as an experiment. As global tensions rise and supply chains evolve, India is emerging as the next major player in global electronics manufacturing.
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Apple Moves In—Big Time
Apple is leading the charge. of the India manufacturing shift. The company has rapidly scaled production in India, where it now builds nearly 10% of all iPhones. That number is expected to climb to 25% by 2026.
Its primary supplier, Foxconn, is investing over $1.5 billion into a new facility in Tamil Nadu, while simultaneously building a 300-acre factory campus in Karnataka. These aren’t just assembly lines—they’re long-term infrastructure plays.
Even India’s industrial giant Tata Electronics has joined in, assembling iPhones from its Hosur facility in a move that would have seemed unlikely just five years ago.
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The “China+1” Strategy, Explained
Global manufacturing has learned the hard way that putting all your eggs in the China basket is risky.
Trade wars. COVID shutdowns. Political crackdowns. Western companies like Apple —especially those under shareholder pressure—can’t afford to be caught flat-footed. The new game is “China+1”: keep some operations in China, but build new ones elsewhere.
India is increasingly the “+1.”
Why?
•Democratic stability
•Skilled, young labor force
•Massive domestic market
•Aggressive government incentives
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Government Money Talks
India’s Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme is the backbone of this transformation. It offers cash incentives to tech firms that make and export from India. Billions are on the table. Apple, Google, and Samsung are collecting.
The message from Delhi is simple:
“We want your factories. We’ll help build them. And we’ll help you sell, too.”
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Apple is going and Google and Samsung: Already There
Google has joined the wave, moving Pixel smartphone production to India. Indian firm Dixon Technologies, in partnership with Compal Electronics, is already manufacturing Pixel 8 phones near Noida.
Samsung, for its part, has been ahead of the curve. Its Noida plant—opened in 2018—is now the largest mobile phone factory in the world.
What once sounded like tech press buzz is now just supply chain reality.
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But It’s Not Easy—Yet
Let’s not pretend India’s road is smooth. Not even for Apple.
•Infrastructure bottlenecks
•Power reliability issues
•Shortages of skilled technicians for complex tech jobs
•Regulatory red tape
Still, for many companies, those are manageable problems—especially compared to the political and trade volatility brewing elsewhere.
India is improving fast. And unlike China, India’s democratic model appeals to governments and companies alike.
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Why Europe Should Pay Attention
Europe is watching this shift closely—and it should.
As EU trade routes realign, building stronger partnerships with like-minded democracies like India becomes more than economics—it becomes strategy. Europe depends on reliable supply chains, especially in a world of rising geopolitical instability.
Whether it’s smartphones, servers, or semiconductors, Europe will increasingly rely on India as a production partner, not just a market.
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Conclusion: “Made in India” Is the New Reality
India isn’t trying to replace China overnight. But it’s building something serious. And companies like Apple, Google, and Samsung are not moving in for the view.
The next time you unbox a device, check where it’s made. There’s a growing chance it was born in India—on a factory floor powered by global ambition and local grit.
📱 Apple’s Manufacturing in India
Foxconn’s $1.5B investment
Tata Electronics assembling iPhones
iPhone production hitting 18% globally
🏭 India’s China+1 Strategy & PLI Scheme
4. PLI scheme overview and Apple’s benefits
5. Apple’s $10B production milestone in India
