Recent reports suggest that India is looking to emulate the European Union by mandating all smartphones to feature a standard USB-C (Including iPhones) interface. The proposed regulation is slated for implementation in June 2025. Strongly contesting this move, Apple has conveyed its firm opposition to India. Apple has informed the Indian authorities that enforcing this regulation would impose limitations on earlier iPhone models such as the iPhone 12 and the iPhone 13 series, thereby hindering Apple from achieving the PLI target.
Statistical data shows that India has designed the Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) as a unique incentive program to enhance the growth of local industries, including automotive, photovoltaic, electronic manufacturing, chemical pharmaceutical, telecommunications, and others.
The Indian PLI initiative is a massive five-year, USD 6 billion project, offering subsidies for products manufactured within India, provided they meet the targets set by the country.
As of now, only the iPhone 15 series in the Indian market features an iPhone USB-C interface. The older models, including the iPhone 12 and 13 series, continue to sport traditional Lightning ports. This regulation, if implemented in India, will likely affect the sales of these older models, even though consumers continue to have access to and favor them. India has expressed its intention to evaluate Apple’s demands before making a final decision.
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