Apple’s Next Chapter May Be Written in Chennai
How a quiet pivot to India is reshaping Apple’s global footprint
At a glance, the mood music around Apple Inc (NASDAQ: AAPL) has been unsettled.
A 25% tariff threat from the Trump administration and renewed pressure to move manufacturing to the United States have cast a shadow over the tech giant’s supply chain model. But beneath the political noise, Apple has quietly been playing a different game.
Analysts at Wedbush believe it is a game that could pay off in a big way.
Their latest note points to growing confidence that a trade agreement between the US and India is close. If confirmed, it would mark a significant turning point for Apple’s operations and potentially remove a key concern that has hung over the stock since early spring.
Wedbush maintains its Outperform rating and US$270 price target, arguing that India is fast becoming Apple’s most important hedge against China-related disruption.
Made in India, and increasingly staying there
Wedbush contends that Apple’s decision to shift a large share of iPhone assembly to India was a timely and strategically astute move. Tim Cook said in March that more than half of the iPhones bound for the US market are now produced in India. That figure could rise to 60% or more by the autumn if current plans hold.
The case for this shift is both economic and logistical. As Wedbush notes, producing iPhones in the US would be prohibitively expensive. Labour costs and the sheer complexity of recreating Asia’s component ecosystem would push retail prices towards US$3,500. That is not realistic for consumers and would not fly with investors.
India, with its skilled workforce, growing infrastructure and supportive government policy, offers the only credible alternative. The recent US$1.5 billion commitment from Foxconn to expand manufacturing capacity in India underscores the scale of the transition. For Apple, supply chain diversification is no longer a hedge. It is a core strategy.
Turning political risk into strategic opportunity
If a formal trade deal between Washington and New Delhi is announced in the coming weeks, Apple is likely to be one of the main beneficiaries. A deal would cement its Indian production base, strengthen supply chain resilience and defuse much of the criticism around offshore manufacturing.
Wedbush describes this pivot as a defining moment for Cook’s leadership. Anticipating policy shifts and responding quickly is a rare corporate skill.
Apple, it argues, has shown a level of operational agility that sets it apart. With a firmer industrial footing in India and rising investment in artificial intelligence, the company’s longer-term growth narrative remains intact.
Risks remain. Tariff policy is volatile and may shift again after the US election. Yet the company is now in a better position to manage that uncertainty.
For investors looking at Apple’s next chapter, Wedbush believes the most important developments may no longer come from Cupertino. They may come from Chennai.
