‘Cope harder’: Vaishnaw defends India's iPhone PLI scheme
Union Electronics and IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw responded to criticism of India's Production Linked Incentive scheme for mobile manufacturing by highlighting economic returns. Apple assembled approximately 55 million iPhones in India in 2025 (a 53% increase from 2024), making the country account for about a quarter of Apple's global output. The government has paid ₹19,000 crore in PLI incentives while collecting ₹25,000 crore in direct taxes and ₹3 lakh crore in GST. Critics argue the scheme subsidizes assembly of imported components rather than building true manufacturing independence.
Key points
- India assembled 55 million iPhones in 2025, now 25% of Apple's global output
- PLI scheme: ₹19,000 Cr incentives paid; ₹25,000 Cr direct tax + ₹3 Lakh Cr GST collected
- Generated 12 lakh jobs but debate continues on real tech autonomy
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