Meeting the skills gap

Apple is deepening its investment in India’s supply chain with the introduction of the Apple Education Hub in Bengaluru and a new range of development programmes.

These initiatives align with India’s rapid economic rise – in 2024, the country was named the fastest-growing economy in the world, forecasting 8.4% GDP growth.

In turn, global leaders such as Tesco and Apple have redirected their strategic focus toward India.

Yet, infrastructure challenges persist.

China’s long-standing dominance in manufacturing and its pivotal position in supply networks remain difficult to match – even as companies seek to diversify their sourcing in response to global uncertainty.

Still, India has become the world’s second-largest smartphone manufacturing hub, producing more than 300 million devices annually and surpassing US$24bn in exports in FY25.

Consequently, the country now stands as a central pillar of Apple’s global supply chain.

At present, manufacturing in India remains 5% to 10% more expensive than in China, driven by productivity gaps and lower automation levels.

To address this, Apple is intensifying its investments and training efforts to strengthen its local supply network.

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