iPhone 16 series made in India, but still costlier: Blame 18% GST

Differential with US, UAE, Thailand significant despite lower launch MRPs

Apple Inc is assembling its entire iPhone 16 lineup — including the Pro and Pro Max models — in India for the first time, marking the country as the only one outside of China to do so. While this might seem like a major win for Indian consumers, and there have been modest maximum retail price (MRP) reductions on the high-end models, the phones remain significantly more expensive in the country than in many other parts of the world, including the US, the UAE (Dubai), Malaysia, and Thailand.

The reason? India imposes one of the highest tax rates