Apple is poised to hit a major milestone in India, with early IDC estimates showing over 3 million iPhones shipped in the first quarter of 2025 — a record-breaking figure for the tech giant. This leap from last year’s 2.21 million units signals Apple’s rising dominance in India, its fastest-growing market worldwide.
Despite the broader smartphone market in India shrinking by mid-single digits, Apple has bucked the trend, thanks to attractive affordability programs like no-interest EMIs, cashback deals, and deep online discounts. These strategies have sparked a strong double-digit growth rate, according to IDC’s Upasna Joshi.
The launch of the iPhone 16 series, especially the budget-friendly iPhone 16e, has played a significant role, accounting for over half of Apple’s shipments. This shift marks a departure from 2024, when older models like the iPhone 13 and 15 led the charge during festive sales.
While other major brands like Vivo and Samsung experienced declines of 2.7% and 19.5% respectively, Apple recorded the fastest growth among the top players, soaring by 36.1%. Oppo and Realme experienced steady growth, but Apple outpaced all competitors with unmatched momentum.
In 2024, India became Apple’s fourth-largest market globally, following the US, China, and Japan, with 12 million iPhones shipped and a 35% year-on-year increase. For the first time in Q4 2024, Apple cracked the top five smartphone brands in India, grabbing a 10% market share.
Analysts believe this growth will continue, projecting 13–14 million iPhones to be sold in India in 2025. Apple is expected to maintain a 10–15% annual growth rate and strengthen its hold in the premium segment.
To fuel this momentum, Apple is deepening its investment in India with aggressive local hiring and retail expansion. The company employs over 3,000 people and plans new stores in cities like Mumbai, Delhi-NCR, Bengaluru, and Pune. Meanwhile, suppliers like Foxconn and Pegatron are scaling up to manufacture not just iPhones but also AirPods, iPads, and eventually MacBooks.
Financially, Apple India saw a 23% rise in net profit to $330 million and revenue grew 36% to around $8 million in FY24, driven primarily by record-breaking iPhone sales.
