Apple expands India supply-chain training as Budget backs toll manufacturing

Apple in collaboration with Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE) will expand its skill-building and training programs across its supply chain in India with Apple Education Hub in Bengaluru beginning March.

The iPhone maker said it also launched a wider suite of development courses at more than 25 Apple supplier sites in the country.

This comes as the Union Budget presented on Feb 1, 2026, proposed to encourage toll manufacturing in India, where the government will give a five-year tax exemption for foreign companies that supply machinery, equipment, or tooling to electronics toll manufacturers operating in bonded zones.

The exemption will apply from April 1, 2026. This simply means that, global electronics brand like Apple can supply machinery and tools to a contract manufacturer like Foxconn in India, which assembles products for a fee without owning the final goods.

For a long time, Apple has been looking to increasing its manufacturing for U.S. market in India to decrease its reliance on China.

Last year according to a Bloomberg report Foxconn Technology Group had asked hundreds of Chinese engineers and technicians to return home from its iPhone factories in India. The reason was nor clearly known but the report said that it was likely owing to Beijing’s involvement where it wanted to curb technology transfers and equipment exports to India and Southeast Asia, possibly to deter manufacturers from shifting production elsewhere. The report said that their withdrawal from India could delay workforce training and technology transfer from China, raising production costs.

The Cupertino-based company has its existing manufacturing units in India in contract with major industry players like Tata Electronics and Foxconn. The iPhone 16 recently has also been ranked as the top-shipped model in India in 2025, marking it the highest-ever annual shipment share for an iPhone in India, according to a Counterpoint research report.

Starting with Tata Electronics, the new curriculum will help supplier employees develop skills in digital literacy, Swift coding, robotics, automation technology, and smart manufacturing, Apple in a statement said.

These new courses are latest initiative from Apple’s global $50 million Supplier Employee Development Fund, the company said.

“We’re thrilled to expand our technical training courses in India, giving thousands of employees the opportunity to learn valuable new skills and explore new paths for career growth,” said Sarah Chandler, Apple’s vice president of Environment and Supply Chain Innovation.

The education hub will bring together trainers and students to learn directly from faculty at MAHE, who will deliver digital education, starting with digital literacy and Swift coding for beginners, enabling them to deliver sessions to larger employee groups.

Lt. Gen. (Dr.) M.D. Venkatesh, vice chancellor at MAHE said, “Supplier communities sit at the heart of India’s manufacturing ecosystem, and investing in their skills is more important than ever.”

The consumer electronics major and its partners currently offer over 75 training courses for supplier employees in India, and the company plans to expand it to more facilities this year.

Apple said that it plans to expand its vocational training programme for persons with disabilities in India this year, in partnership with supplier Salcomp, as part of efforts to improve workforce inclusion and accessibility across its supply chain.