While geopolitical tensions may prompt the US to pressure Apple, one thing remains undisputed: India is embedded in Apple’s DNA. With Indian-origin Sabih Khan stepping up as Apple’s new COO, India’s influence at the tech giant is only growing.
Apple officially announced today that Sabih Khan will succeed Jeff Williams as Chief Operating Officer later this month, as part of a planned leadership transition. Khan has spent nearly three decades at Apple, joining in 1995 after a stint at GE Plastics, and rising to Senior VP of Operations in 2019.
Who is Sabih Khan? Born in 1966 in Moradabad and educated in Singapore before moving to the U.S., Khan holds dual bachelor’s degrees in mechanical engineering from RPI. Over his Apple career, he oversaw global supply chain, procurement, manufacturing, logistics, product quality, and supplier responsibility, while doubling down on environmental sustainability, reducing Apple’s carbon footprint by over 60%.
Tim Cook hailed him as a “brilliant strategist” and “central architect” of Apple’s supply chain, noting Khan pioneered advanced manufacturing and U.S.-based production amid global tensions. Williams added, “he’s the most talented operations executive on the planet”.
Khan’s Contribution at Apple Over the Years:
- Strategic resilience: He helped relocate iPhone production from China to India, which now accounts for 20% of all iPhones, enabling Apple to mitigate trade issues.
- Sustainability leadership: Under Khan, Apple slashed its carbon footprint by over 60% and expanded green manufacturing, proving that Indian-origin talent drives global change.
Despite external pressures, you can’t remove India from Apple- an Indian-born executive now holds the second most powerful operational role at the tech titan.
What’s Ahead
Under Khan, Apple’s production diversification is expected to deepen, particularly in India, with a focus on scaling up iPhones and AirPods. Local manufacturing isn’t just a policy; it is an operational strategy, tying India’s economic rise directly to Apple’s resilience.
In the contest between geopolitics and talent, India isn’t just a market; it’s a core part of Apple’s global engine. India is a major stakeholder in the future of tech. With Sabih Khan at the helm of operations, Apple’s future, balanced between resilience, sustainability, and innovation, will bear unmistakable Indian roots.
