iPhone 17 Production Unaffected by Chinese Techies' Return

New Delhi, Jul 8 (PTI) The return of Chinese technology professionals from an Apple vendor's facility will have no impact on the production of the upcoming iPhone 17, sources aware of the development said on Tuesday.

iPhone maker Apple continues to be on track to scale up production in India, sources said.

According to the sources, Apple vendors in India, Foxconn and Tata Electronics, have also seen easing of capital goods sourcing from China. These capital goods are critical for the production of iPhones.

“The return of Chinese professionals from Foxconn has had no impact on iPhone production. The production of iPhone 17 in India will be as per schedule,” a source aware of the development on iPhone production told PTI.

A query sent to Apple, Foxconn and Tata Electronics did not elicit any response on the matter.

Multiple sources have shared that hundreds of Chinese professionals working at Foxconn India units have returned to China in the last two months.

According to sources, these engineers were handling assembly lines, factory design and also involved in training talents to handle tools and machines for iPhone production.

Another source said that there has been an easing of the supply of capital goods from China as well for iPhones.

“Apple partners have seen an easing of supply of capital goods. So there is no impact on iPhones' production in India,” the source said.

The person said that there is no change in Apple's plan to ramp up production in India. According to multiple sources, Apple plans to increase iPhone production to 60 million units this year from about 35-40 million units that it produced in 2024-25.

Apple CEO Tim Cook, during the second-quarter earnings call had announced that all iPhones sold in the US in the June quarter will be shipped from India. India-made iPhones are assembled in Taiwanese contract manufacturer Foxconn's factory in Tamil Nadu.

Tata Electronics, which runs Pegatron Corp's operations in India, is the other key manufacturer. Tata and Foxconn are building new plants and adding production capacity to increase iPhone production.

Apple assembled 60 per cent more iPhones, worth an estimated USD 22 billion, in India in the year ended March 31, 2025.

According to an analysis by S&P Global, iPhone sales in the US were 75.9 million units in 2024, with exports in March from India at 3.1 million units, suggesting a need to double shipments either through new capacity or redirecting shipments bound for the domestic market.

"Apple's Indian exports already headed predominantly to the United States, which represented 81.9 per cent of phones exported by the firm in the three months to February 28, 2025. That increased to 97.6 per cent in March 2025 as a result of a 219 per cent jump in exports, likely reflecting the firm looking to preempt higher tariffs," S&P Global Market Intelligence report said.

Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw had in April announced that iPhones worth Rs 1.5 lakh crore were exported from India in fiscal year 2025.

The Apple ecosystem in India is one of the biggest job creators in the country. It is estimated to have employed around 2 lakh people across various vendors in the country.

India's smartphone exports are growing at a healthy rate and have become a "consistent and significant" player in the sector, an official said, adding that the country has become a major mobile manufacturing hub today.