Apple's assembly operations in India lag significantly behind China, with output reaching only 15 million units from 2016 to 2023, just 7% of global shipments. Despite easing local sourcing rules and launching an online store in 2020, the pace of growth is one-tenth that of China's rapid expansion. Apple's long-term goal is to achieve self-reliance in iPhone production in India, but this may take another 5–10 years, as current operations are primarily focused on final assembly with components sourced from China.