Union telecom minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Tuesday said that global tech giants such as Apple see strong economic logic in setting up manufacturing facilities in India.
Addressing the Bharat Telecom event here, Scindia said investing in India today is not merely an act of goodwill, but a move driven by sound economic reasoning for every OEM (original equipment manufacturer).
“Apple has decided to source and produce all its mobile phones in India in the coming years. Because when you invest in India, you are choosing affordability, reliability, and originality,” the minister remarked.
Apple CEO Tim Cook recently announced that the tech giant will source the majority of its iPhones for the US market from India in the April-June quarter, while China will produce devices for other markets. This shift comes in response to the sharp hike in US tariffs on Chinese exports, announced by President Donald Trump.
Explaining the economic rationale for investing in India, Scindia stated: “An investment of Rs 4,000 crore—half a billion dollars—has resulted in sales of Rs 80,000 crore, of which Rs 16,000 crore constitutes exports, and 25,000 jobs have been created.”
He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s bold vision and unwavering resolve have transformed India from a digital follower into a global digital leader.
Scindia highlighted the remarkable growth of India’s telecom market, driven by the government’s production-linked incentive scheme.
“In just 22 months, we connected 99 per cent of our villages with 5G and brought 82 per cent of our population onto the network by deploying 470,000 towers. This is not evolution; it is a telecom revolution,” he stressed.
He noted that India has not only caught up with the world in areas like 4G and 5G but is now leading the charge, with sweeping reforms and technological innovation shaping the country’s trajectory.
Scindia also underlined the role of India’s telecom sector as a transformative force, noting that it is the world’s second-largest telecom market and the cheapest data provider.
The minister further pointed out that the digital highway built across India is not merely about communication—it is the “infrastructure of infrastructure,” empowering 1.4 billion citizens with access to healthcare, education, governance, and economic opportunity.
In his remarks, Minister of State for Communications, Dr. Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani, said: “Today, India stands ready not merely as a market or consumer but as a creator, partner, and trusted provider of world-class telecom solutions. The narrative has changed from the historical ‘made-for-India’ to ‘made-by-India.’”
He emphasised that India is undergoing a pivotal transformation in the global telecom arena, evolving from a consumer to a creator of technology.
— IANS
