Archive · 11 Sep 2026
Apple Raises India iPhone Prices Up to 40.6 Percent
Apple has made many iPhones more expensive in India.
Some prices went up by more than 40 percent.
The regular iPhone 17 now costs Rs 99,900.
The most expensive iPhone Air model now costs Rs 2,24,900.
Apple is making many phones in India, but important parts still come from other countries.
Those parts, memory shortages, import taxes and a weaker rupee can increase costs.
Apple may also want iPhones to remain luxury products.
Many people may not be able to pay the full price at once.
Some buyers use monthly payments, trade-ins, bank offers or cashback to make the purchase easier.
Apple raised Indian iPhone prices by 20% to 40.6%, citing memory costs, rupee weakness and higher domestic production expenses.
The iPhone 17 256GB now costs Rs 99,900, up 20.5% from Rs 82,900.
The 1TB iPhone Air saw the steepest increase, reaching Rs 2,24,900 from Rs 1,59,900.
The iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max start at Rs 1,64,900 and Rs 1,79,900 in India, compared with smaller increases in the United States.
Apple assembled an estimated 55 million iPhones in India in 2025, but imported components, duties and its premium strategy continue to affect prices.
- Who
- Apple, Indian iPhone buyers, Apple’s manufacturing partners and analysts Tarun Pathak and Prabhu Ram.
- What
- Apple substantially increased prices across its Indian iPhone lineup, including existing models and the newly announced iPhone 18 Pro, Pro Max and iPhone Duo.
- When
- The price changes followed Apple’s latest product announcements; the articles also cite 2025 Indian production and a reported late-2026 export target.
- Where
- The price changes apply in India, with comparisons to the United States; manufacturing expansion includes Tamil Nadu and Bengaluru.
- Why
- The articles attribute the increases to memory and component costs, rupee weakness, import duties, higher production expenses and Apple’s premiumisation strategy.
Affordability Concerns
Luxury Positioning and Purchase Flexibility
Effect of the increases
Affordability Concerns
Price increases of 20% to more than 40% could put iPhones beyond the reach of most working-class Indian consumers, especially for upfront purchases.
Luxury Positioning and Purchase Flexibility
Apple may be deliberately strengthening iPhones’ luxury positioning, and some consumers can still purchase them through financing and upgrade programs.
Local manufacturing benefits
Affordability Concerns
Consumers may expect expanded Indian assembly to reduce retail prices, so steep increases raise questions about whether local manufacturing benefits buyers.
Luxury Positioning and Purchase Flexibility
Assembly in India does not eliminate costs for imported displays, camera modules, memory, processors, tariffs or other global supply-chain pressures.
Affordability through financing
Affordability Concerns
EMIs, trade-ins and promotional offers spread payments but do not reduce the higher total retail price.
Luxury Positioning and Purchase Flexibility
EMIs, trade-ins, bank discounts, cashback and upgrade programs can make the higher prices more manageable for some buyers.
- iPhone 17 256GB
- Rs 99,900, up from Rs 82,900, or 20.5%
- iPhone 17 512GB
- Rs 1,24,900, up Rs 22,000, or 21.4%
- 1TB iPhone Air
- Rs 2,24,900, up 40.6% from Rs 1,59,900
- iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max
- Starting prices of Rs 1,64,900 and Rs 1,79,900 in India
- iPhone Duo
- Rs 2,99,900 in India versus approximately Rs 1,90,164 in the United States
- Indian production estimate
- An estimated 55 million iPhones were manufactured in India in 2025
- Reported export target
- More than 60 million iPhones annually from India by late 2026
