Last week, US President Donald Trump revealed that he had told Apple CEO Tim Cook not to build Apple products in India. It’s a head-scratcher, especially since Apple’s India push is in full swing. Is this Trump playing hardball with India’s trade negotiators? Or, is he dead-set on bringing manufacturing back to American soil? Either way, his words are sending ripples across boardrooms and borders.

Trump’s comments smell like a negotiation tactic to squeeze concessions from India, which is locked in high-stakes trade talks with the US. But if he doubles down on pushing Apple to shift production from China to the US instead of India, he could disrupt Apple’s carefully laid plans, slow India’s rise as a manufacturing hub, and muddy the geopolitical waters. His softer stance on China adds another layer of uncertainty, potentially undermining the very diversification Apple and India are banking on. This isn’t just about iPhones—it’s about power, economics, and global alliances.

Apple’s shift to India isn’t just a corporate manoeuvre; it’s a response to years of US-China trade wars and supply chain shocks, like........

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