Apple appears to be widening its manufacturing base in India faster than expected, with operations now spread across eight states and more than 40 suppliers. A Business Standard report on December 2 stated that the company is gradually stitching India into its global supply chain in a way that may reshape its long-term manufacturing strategy.
Apple’s early manufacturing presence began with factories in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. Over the years, this footprint seems to have grown significantly, with Apple-linked firms now setting up operations in Gujarat, Kerala, Haryana, Telangana, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh as well.
People familiar with the developments told the paper that Apple is working on integrating all these suppliers into the same global ecosystem that supports its production lines worldwide.
As per the report, Apple broadly classifies its suppliers into three groups.
The first provides components and subassemblies to the factories run by Foxconn and Tata Electronics, which assemble iPhones in India.
The second supports Apple's global supply chain, supplying specialised parts used beyond India.
The third category handles components for equipment used in new production lines within the country.
This structure, industry watchers speculate, could be Apple’s attempt to deepen localisation while reducing supply-chain dependence on any single geography.
In recent months, several names have been added to Apple’s Indian supplier list, including Hindalco in Gujarat, Wipro PARI, Bharat Forge, Jabil in Maharashtra, SFO Technologies in Kerala and VVDN Technologies in Haryana.
The growing list hints at Apple’s accelerating effort to diversify manufacturing and expand India’s role in its global operations.