Apple is doubling down on its commitment to the ‘Make in India’ initiative by gearing up to produce AirPods locally for export. This move makes AirPods the second product category—after iPhones—to benefit from India’s production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme. Launched in September 2014 by the Prime Minister, ‘Make in India’ is part of a broader vision to strengthen the country’s manufacturing ecosystem.
Industry insiders reveal that Apple plans to manufacture non-Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) AirPods, with production set to kick off as early as April at Foxconn’s Hyderabad facility. While an official confirmation is yet to come, anticipation is already building.
India’s true wireless stereo (TWS) market is on an upward trajectory, registering a 14% year-on-year growth in 2024, as per Counterpoint Research. Seasonal discounts, competitive pricing, and a surge in demand across various use cases, coupled with wider accessibility, have fueled this momentum.
Meanwhile, Apple continues to break records with its iPhone exports from India, touching a staggering ₹1 lakh crore in just 10 months (April–January) of the current financial year (FY25), all thanks to the PLI scheme.
