India ranks second for Samsung, Apple assembly share

Although Samsung accounted nearly 55 per cent of assembly share in Vietnam, compared to about 25 per cent share in India, the latter still accounted for a higher percentage of smartphone shipments in 2024
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BIJOY GHOSH

India ranks second for both Samsung and Apple in smartphone assembly share, said S&P Global Ratings in a report. The report added that Vietnam and India are the key markets to watch out for, besides China, in Asia’s tech-manufacturing sector.

“Smartphone production is labour-intensive, favouring production in countries with low labour costs such as India and Vietnam. Tariffs on these countries pose further risk for the issuers with significant US smartphone exposure such as Apple and Samsung and their suppliers,” said the report.

Although Samsung accounted nearly 55 per cent of assembly share in Vietnam, compared to about 25 per cent share in India, the latter still accounted for a higher percentage of smartphone shipments in 2024. The two countries currently account for the bulk of Samsung’s production base.

Similarly, China and India dominate in terms of iPhone’s final assembly share. In India, the company’s assembly share is about 15 per cent, much lower than China’s current 84 per cent. However, the report also noted that Apple is shifting the production supply chain of iPhones to India, which will likely cover most of Apple smartphones shipped to the US by 2026. This is expected to impact the assembly share percentages.

Published on June 10, 2025