In a significant expansion of its “Make in India” footprint, Apple has exported over 1 million units of its AirPods from India in the six-month period between August 2025 and January 2026. This milestone, confirmed on February 16, 2026, solidifies India’s position as a critical global hub for Apple’s wearable ecosystem, following the massive success of its iPhone manufacturing operations.
The shipments originated primarily from the Foxconn Interconnect Technology (FIT) facility in Hyderabad, targeting major international markets including the United States, Europe, and Latin America.
Production Ramp-Up: The Hyderabad Engine
After starting trial production in April 2025, Apple’s contract manufacturers have rapidly scaled operations despite early supply chain hiccups.
| Metric | Status (Feb 2026) | Target (Mid-2026) |
| Monthly Output | ~200,000 Units | 400,000 Units |
| Total Export (6 Mo) | 1 Million+ Units | — |
| Workforce | ~2,200 employees | 5,000 employees |
| Models Produced | AirPods 4, AirPods Pro 3 | Full TWS lineup |
Key Contributors:
- Foxconn (Hyderabad): The lead assembly partner, which has seen a total investment of ₹3,000 crore (out of a planned ₹4,800 crore) to date.
- Jabil (Pune): A critical component supplier that manufactures the plastic bodies and enclosures for the AirPods before they are sent for final assembly.
Overcoming the “Rare Earth” Bottleneck
The 1-million-unit milestone is particularly impressive given the supply chain crisis in mid-2025. China’s temporary export restrictions on dysprosium and terbium—rare earth metals essential for the high-performance magnets in AirPods—had initially threatened to stall production.
- Strategic Pivot: By late 2025, Apple and its partners successfully diversified their sourcing networks, reducing dependency on Chinese-processed minerals and allowing the Hyderabad plant to double its output from 100,000 to 200,000 units per month.
- Geopolitical Insulation: Analysts note that moving 20% of global AirPods production to India by the end of 2026 is a key part of Apple’s strategy to insulate itself from U.S.-China trade tensions.
Impact on India’s Electronics Goals
The surge in AirPods exports is helping India reach its ambitious goal of $120 billion in electronics exports by 2030.
- Beyond the iPhone: AirPods are now the second major Apple product category to be “Made in India” for the world.
- Job Creation: The expansion is expected to create over 24,000 direct and indirect jobs in the Telangana and Maharashtra electronics corridors.
- Premiumization: While local supply remains negligible (most AirPods sold in India are still imported), the localization of production allows Apple to optimize global costs while tapping into a rapidly premiumizing domestic market.
“The AirPods export milestone is a clear indicator of India’s maturation as a global manufacturing hub. It shows we can handle not just assembly, but the complex precision engineering required for high-end audio hardware.” — Tarun Pathak, Research Director, Counterpoint Research.
