New Delhi [India], May 15 (ANI): Actor and BJP MP Kangana Ranaut said on Thursday that she deleted her social media post about US President Donald Trump after BJP national president JP Nadda personally requested her to do so. Ranaut had reportedly criticized Trump in a now-deleted tweet for his statement in Qatar, where he urged Apple CEO Tim Cook not to manufacture iPhones in India.
In a post on X, Kangana Ranaut wrote, “Respected national president Shri @JPNadda ji called and asked me to delete the tweet I had posted regarding Trump asking Apple CEO Tim Cook not to manufacture in India. I regret posting that very personal opinion of mine, as per instructions, I immediately deleted it from Instagram as well. Thanks.”
US President Donald Trump stated on Thursday that he had spoken with Apple CEO Tim Cook and asked him to limit Apple’s expansion in India. During a news conference in Doha, Qatar, Trump said, “I had a little problem with Tim Cook yesterday. I said to him, my friend, I am treating you very good. You are coming up with USD 500 billion but now I hear you are building all over India. I don’t want you building in India. You can build in India, if you want to take care of India because India is one of the highest tariff nations in the world, so it is very hard to sell in India.”
Recently, Apple expanded its iPhone production in India by setting up new assembly plants in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, contracting with manufacturers like Foxconn and Tata Group. In the last fiscal year, Apple produced USD 22 billion worth of iPhones in India, a 60 per cent increase from the previous year. In 2024, India accounted for 18-20 per cent of Apple’s global output, with around 40-45 million iPhones manufactured in the country.
India has become Apple’s fourth-largest market globally after the US, China, and Japan. In January 2025, Apple achieved its 11th consecutive quarterly revenue record in India, with estimated iPhone sales reaching USD 10 billion in 2024. As part of a strategic shift driven by US-China trade tensions, Apple plans to transition all iPhone production destined for the US market to India.
Last month, following escalating trade tensions, the US and China agreed to withdraw their reciprocal tariffs for an initial period of 90 days, reducing tariffs on each other’s goods. China will impose a 10 per cent tariff on US goods, while the US will tax Chinese goods at about 30 per cent. (ANI)
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