US President, Donald Trump wants Apple to make iPhones in the United States. But halfway around the world, India is already doing what he’s asking for — and doing it at scale.
In a dusty region just outside Bengaluru, a massive new iPhone factory is rising fast. Foxconn, Apple’s main manufacturer, is investing $2.5 billion into the 300-acre site in Devanahalli. More than 8,000 workers are already on the assembly lines. That number is expected to reach 40,000 by year’s end.
This is exactly the kind of industrial revival Trump envisions for America. But in India, it’s already a reality.
Foxconn began making iPhones in India two years ago. The shift started during the COVID-19 pandemic and accelerated as companies looked to reduce reliance on China.
According to Counterpoint Research, India now produces 18% of the world’s iPhones. With the Devanahalli plant coming online, that figure could reach 25–30% by the end of 2025.
The growth is transforming the area. Wages near the factory are rising by 10–15%. Businesses — Indian, Taiwanese, Korean, and American — are racing to supply everything from circuit parts to worker housing.
“You don’t want to have to make everything yourself,” said Krishna Chivukula, CEO of Indo-MIM, which now supplies parts to Foxconn. “The people here are very hungry. They’re looking for opportunity — and millions of them are engineers.”
Foxconn is also building dormitories for its expanding workforce. Many employees travel long distances to work. Others, like Sneha, a math graduate, live nearby and walk home for lunch.
“This is what Trump wants American workers to do,” one executive noted. “But it’s India that’s actually doing it.”
India’s government is also driving the shift. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “Make in India” policy offers $26 billion in subsidies for manufacturing. Apple, in turn, is required to source 30% of its product value locally by 2028.
Critics say India still imports many high-value components like chips and camera modules. But local production is growing. Indian firms now supply casings, glass, and more.
Analysts say India has achieved in five years what took China over a decade. “All of India’s states are very keen on getting manufacturing,” said Josh Foulger, electronics head at Zetwerk and a former Foxconn executive.
He added: “Manufacturing does a very democratic job of meeting the demand for good jobs.”
As Trump campaigns to bring factories back to the US, India is already proving how it can be done.
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