BENGALURU, July 31 (Reuters) - President Donald Trump's

25% tariffs on Indian goods will do little to slow the role of

the Asian country as a key hub for manufacturing iPhones, even

when it means more expensive smartphones for U.S. consumers,

analysts and industry executives said.

Apple ( AAPL ) has realigned its India exports to almost exclusively

serve the U.S. market, with nearly all the $3.2 billion-worth

iPhones exported by Foxconn from India going to the United

States between March and May.

It's "too early to say" if recent events or future changes

in Trump's stance will alter Apple's ( AAPL ) manufacturing plans in

India, an industry executive familiar with Apple's ( AAPL ) strategy

said. "These plans are made with a longer window."

Trump on Wednesday imposed a 25% tariff on goods imported

from the country, effective Friday, a move that sent jitters

across India Inc, though some view it as a negotiation tactic.

For Apple ( AAPL ), India is now central to its strategy of

diversifying manufacturing beyond China, where geopolitical

pressures have pushed it to consider alternative bases.

India supplied 71% of all iPhones sold in the U.S. market

between April and June, up from 31% a year earlier, driven by a

corresponding decline in shipments from China, according to

Counterpoint Research.

Despite the newly announced tariffs, manufacturing iPhones

in India would continue to remain cost-competitive, with

expenses lower than when Apple ( AAPL ) began production there eight

years ago, narrowing the cost gap with China, analysts said.

Factors like growing local component availability, federal

government incentives, and wages nearly half those in China have

positioned India as one of the top two iPhone-producing

countries, alongside China.

"Making supply chain adjustments, particularly with new

iPhone models nearing release, is unlikely due to the complex

factors involved. It is expected to be business as usual,

especially with a resilient supply chain like Apple ( AAPL )," said Tarun

Pathak, a research director at Counterpoint.

TRUMP'S IRE

Trump has repeatedly targeted Apple ( AAPL ) for making U.S.-sold

iPhones outside the country by threats including

company-specific tariffs, but hurdles like high costs,

technological shortcomings, and legal issues have stood in the

way.

In May, he recalled telling Apple ( AAPL ) CEO Tim Cook: "we put up

with all the plants you built in China for years ... we are not

interested in you building in India, India can take care of

themselves".

Apple ( AAPL ) would rather absorb the higher costs for iPhones sold

in the United States than to slam the breaks on its India

expansion, said Faisal Kawoosa, chief analyst at Indian research

firm Techarc.

"Given that sales in the U.S. are largely operator-driven

and sold as part of plans, it might mean adding a few more

dollars to monthly plans rather than giving an upfront blow to

consumers".

(Reporting by Munsif Vengattil in Bengaluru;

Editing by Ros Russell)