iPhone surge: At $30bn, smartphones top exports in 2025

NEW DELHI: Smartphones, led largely by Apple's iPhone, emerged as India's top export category for the first time, overtaking automotive diesel fuel in 2025, official data showed, indicating the impact of policy measures to boost exports.

Exports of smartphones during Jan-Dec 2025 rose to about $30.1 billion, up 47.5% from $20.4 billion in 2024, while automotive diesel fuel exports were at $16.3 billion. Other major export categories were cut and unmounted diamonds at $12.4 billion, medicines for retail sale at $10.7 billion, motor gasoline at $9.7 billion, and aviation turbine fuel at $9.5 billion.

Data on export destinations shows that the US widened its lead as India's largest market, as exports to the US rose 14.2% to $92.3 billion in 2025 from $80.7 billion a year earlier. The UAE remained the second-largest destination at $38.6 billion, while exports to China rose 19.3% to $18 billion, and shipments to the Netherlands and the UK declined.

The surge in smartphone exports was driven largely by Apple's iPhone shipments from India to the US and UAE. Industry estimates indicate that iPhones accounted for nearly three-quarters of total smartphone exports, with shipments reaching about $23 billion in 2025 as Apple's exports nearly doubled from the previous year.

Experts said several policy initiatives unveiled by govt, including the performance-linked incentive scheme, had helped push exports of smartphones significantly.

Nilanjan Banik, professor of economics at Mahindra University, said India's rise as a major iPhone exporter reflects both policy support and demand trends. "India is emerging as the world's largest seller and exporter of iPhones due to massive local manufacturing scale-up and booming domestic demand. Apple now produces about 25% of global iPhones in India," he said.

He added that shipments hit a record 14 million units in 2025, capturing 9% volume share and 28% value share, making India Apple's third-largest market. Rising incomes, premiumisation, easier financing, festive discounts, and expansion into Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities supported growth. "India built a formidable supply chain ecosystem, especially in states like Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra, to sustain this growth further," said Banik.