Apple invests $10.5M in India renewable energy with CleanMax

Apple announced on May 7 that it will invest an initial 1 billion rupees (US$10.5 million) with Indian renewable energy developer CleanMax to build more than 150 megawatts of new renewable energy capacity in India, according to The Economic Times.

Apple’s CleanMax Partnership

The iPhone maker said it had previously worked with CleanMax on rooftop solar projects that supply renewable power to its offices and retail stores in India. The new investment expands this partnership to develop significantly more renewable capacity across the country.

Additional Environmental Initiatives

Beyond the CleanMax investment, Apple is supporting recycling and waste management work with WWF-India. The company is also funding six early-stage green businesses through a partnership with impact investor Acumen.

Context: Supplier Transition and Manufacturing Goals

Apple’s India renewable energy investment addresses the company’s own operations in the country. However, as Apple expands manufacturing in India while reducing reliance on China, the company has set a goal for its suppliers to shift Apple-related work to 100% clean electricity by 2030. According to reports, only two of 13 suppliers currently use stronger renewable buying routes such as power purchase agreements or self-generation. In 2024, Foxconn unit FIH Mobile operated on approximately 35% renewable energy, while Tata Electronics reported carbon neutrality primarily through international renewable energy certificates. Apple’s earlier CleanMax venture focused on offices and retail stores and did not cover the larger electricity use of manufacturing suppliers.