 "For the first time, the latest iPhone 17 series, including the high-end Pro models, will be assembled right here from day one.For the first time, the latest iPhone 17 series, including the high-end Pro models, will be assembled right here from day one. PTI")
Apple’s iPhone 17 series has officially gone on sale in India, and the excitement is hard to miss from the very first day.
In Mumbai, hundreds of Apple fans, some even before sunrise, poured into the company’s flagship store at Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) on Friday, September 19. Similar scenes played out at Delhi’s Saket store, where eager customers also lined up to get their hands on the new devices.
But this year, India has a bigger reason to be excited. For the first time, the latest iPhone 17 series, including the high-end Pro models, will be assembled right here from day one.
India’s role in Apple ’s global strategy has grown rapidly. Tim Cook has already revealed that nearly half the iPhones sold in the US are now made in India . And this year, for the first time, India-made iPhones are being shipped worldwide on day one, breaking away from the old pattern of trailing behind Chinese production.
In this piece, we take a closer look at Apple’s “Made in India” push, the rising appetite for iPhones in the country, when the new models will be available, and the standout features of the iPhone 17 lineup.
Apple’s ‘Made in India’ push for iPhone 17
Apple has gone all in on India for the iPhone 17 series , spreading production across five local factories, according to NDTV.
The lineup itself is divided between different partners. The iPhone 17 Pro is being assembled at Foxconn and Tata-run Pegatron plants, while the base iPhone 17 model is rolling out of Tata’s Wistron facility in Karnataka and the newly opened Hosur unit in Tamil Nadu, Moneycontrol reported.
Foxconn’s Sriperumbudur plant in Tamil Nadu has taken charge of producing the slimmest handset in the lineup, the iPhone Air. Meanwhile, Foxconn has also started shipping iPhone 17 units from its brand-new $2.8 billion factory in Devanahalli, near Bengaluru. This site, now running alongside its Chennai unit, has quickly become India’s largest iPhone factory in terms of production capacity.
Sources told Moneycontrol that much of this output is aimed at meeting strong demand in the US and Europe, while also serving India’s rapidly growing market for premium phones. Test runs for the iPhone 17 began at the Devanahalli plant back in April, and production has been ramping up ever since.
In the financial year ending March, Apple assembled iPhones worth about $22 billion in India, marking a 60 per cent jump from the year before. This comes despite the fact that US President Donald Trump has been building pressure on the tech giant to restrict its Indian presence.
Also read: Trump does not want Tim Cook to build in India. Can Apple afford to do so?
Tata, which has rapidly emerged as one of Apple’s most important partners, is expected to handle nearly half of India’s iPhone production within the next two years, Moneycontrol reports.
These factories are not just focused on the iPhone 17 series. They are also producing earlier models, including the iPhone 14, iPhone 15 and iPhone 16.
India’s love for iPhones is rising
Apple’s bet on India is paying off. The country has become one of its fastest-growing markets, and analysts believe this shift is helping position India as a serious global manufacturing hub.
The demand picture is massive. According to S&P Global, iPhone sales in the US alone are expected to reach nearly 76 million units in 2024. To keep pace, Apple may need to double shipments from India or pull devices from other markets to satisfy American buyers.
But it’s not just about exports. Apple’s presence in India’s own smartphone market is getting stronger every quarter.
Shipments rose 21.5 per cent in the first half of 2025 to 5.9 million units, with the iPhone 16 emerging as the country’s most shipped model. In the June quarter, Apple’s India shipments grew nearly 20 per cent year-on-year, pushing its market share up to 7.5 per cent.
Even with higher price tags, the appetite isn’t slowing. The iPhone 17 series is costlier than the iPhone 16 lineup, but analysts don’t expect that to hurt sales.
“Around 60–65 per cent of iPhone sales in India happen on EMI, so any price hike gets absorbed. Add bank offers and trade-ins, and affordability improves further. The hike won’t stop users from upgrading,” Tarun Pathak, research director at Counterpoint Research, told Moneycontrol.
Among the new models, the iPhone Air is drawing the most buzz. Slimmer than anything Apple has made before, it’s already attracting a niche set of buyers.
“There are design enthusiasts who will go for it, but those who want cameras will only consider the Pro models. iPhone Air is unlike any other iPhone before, and that uniqueness will be its USP,” Pathak added.
How much does the iPhone 17 series cost in India?
Apple has launched four new models under the iPhone 17 series — the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, and the all-new iPhone Air.
According to The Times of India, the iPhone 17 is available in lavender, mist blue, black, white, and sage.
In India, the iPhone 17 starts at Rs 82,900, with the 512GB version priced at Rs 1,02,900.
The iPhone 17 Pro comes in silver, cosmic orange, and deep blue, and the Pro Max version will be offered in identical colours and timelines.
In India, the iPhone 17 starts at Rs 82,900, with the 512GB version priced at Rs 1,02,900.
Meanwhile, the much-talked-about iPhone Air is be available in black, white, beige, and light blue. In India, the iPhone Air starts at Rs 1,19,900 for the 256GB model.
With input from agencies