Apple begins production of the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max in India, with Tata Electronics taking a larger role, signalling a rapid shift in the company’s global supply chain amid rising exports and production costs.
Apple has begun producing the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max in India ahead of their expected September launch, with factories increasing output to supply buyers in the US and Europe, according to reports from Communications Today and Outlook Business. Foxconn remains the main assembler for export-bound units, while Tata Electronics is taking a larger role in Pro-model production than it did in the previous cycle.
That shift marks a change from last year, when Tata started with lower-end models before moving into the Pro line later. This time, the company is involved in Pro-model manufacturing from the outset, reflecting a quicker climb up Apple’s supply chain. Reuters has previously reported that Apple is also scrutinising a data leak affecting Tata’s Indian operations, underlining the sensitivity of the relationship as Apple expands production outside China.
Counterpoint research director Tarun Pathak said the US and Europe remain key iPhone markets and that rising output from India offers Apple more room to absorb tariff pressure. Counterpoint estimates India will account for 26% of global iPhone production in 2026, up from 6% four years earlier. India now has five iPhone plants across Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, including Tata’s Hosur facility and Foxconn’s site near Bengaluru airport.
The export figures show how quickly that shift is gathering pace. Smartphone exports from India reached a record $9.84 billion in the first quarter of the current fiscal year, up 23.4% from a year earlier, with the US still the largest destination. Foxconn’s shipments rose sharply on iPhone volumes, while Tata has grown to about a third of iPhone manufacturing in India and is gaining share faster in value terms and export orders, according to the report.
Apple’s first foldable iPhone, expected to be called the iPhone Ultra, is unlikely to be built in India during its initial production run, the report said. Sources cited in the story said the decision appears to reflect the technical complexity of the new design rather than weak demand. That would differ from Apple’s approach with the iPhone Air, which it started making in India in the same year it launched, and suggests the foldable model may stay closer to Apple’s most established manufacturing base at first.
A separate report from Counterpoint, cited by Tom’s Guide, has also raised the possibility of higher prices for the iPhone 18 Pro line because of rising component costs, including memory shortages linked to artificial intelligence demand. If those estimates prove accurate, Apple’s move to broaden production in India could become even more important as it looks to protect margins while keeping supply steady.
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