India's smartphone exports hit record $7.72 billion, Apple leads with $6 billion

Apple, through its vendors, exported $6 billion worth of iPhones from India in the April-June 2025 quarter, an 82 percent increase from the same period last year, Business Standard reported, citing data shared by vendors with the government. This makes Q1FY26 not only Apple’s best quarter in India but also the highest-ever quarterly smartphone export figure for the country. In the same quarter last year, Apple shipped $3.2 billion worth of devices.

Thanks to Apple’s surge, India’s total smartphone exports rose 58 percent year-on-year to $7.72 billion in Q1FY26, up from $4.9 billion in Q1FY25. Apple alone accounted for nearly 78 percent of these shipments. Samsung contributed 12 percent, while Padget Electronics, a Dixon Technologies subsidiary, and other players made up the remaining 10 percent. Padget’s exports alone were worth $175 million in the quarter.

The Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme, launched in 2020, has been a key driver of India’s export growth. Smartphone exports were just $3.1 billion in FY21, rising to $24.1 billion in FY25, with Apple contributing $17.5 billion. In Q1FY26 alone, exports have already reached $7.72 billion, putting India on track for another record year. Apple’s three main vendors are in the final year of their PLI term, while Samsung completed its tenure in March 2025.

In FY15, smartphones ranked 167th in India’s export list by Harmonised System code, but by FY25 they had become the country’s top export category, driven by foreign investment, policy incentives, and rising global demand. Electronics exports overall rose 48 percent year-on-year in Q1FY26 to $12.4 billion, with smartphones accounting for 62 percent, up from 58 percent last year.

While the outlook is strong, potential US import tariffs could affect the growth trajectory. The US government is reviewing Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act, which allows tariffs on national security grounds, with a report due by 14 August. With $24 billion in smartphone exports in FY25 and a record-breaking start to FY26, India’s position as a global smartphone manufacturing hub is rapidly solidifying.