Regarded as a “brilliant strategist” by chief executive Tim Cook, the 58-year-old is the latest in a growing posse of Indian origin executives occupying C-suites at top American technology corporations.
Khan was born in Uttar Pradesh’s Moradabad, and joined Apple in 1995, when it was still known for personal computers, and not the iconic iPhone. Currently, he is senior vice-president of operations, overseeing the global supply chain and ensuring product quality.
His ascension comes at a particularly tumultuous time for the Cupertino-based phonemaker, as it faces Washington’s ire over global expansion of its manufacturing facilities, including in India. US President Donald Trump has threatened steep tariffs on the company’s products if it does not bring production back home.
“The Trump tariff black cloud is a big issue with China and India that Sabih will have to tackle,” said Daniel Ives, managing director and senior equity research analyst at Wedbush Securities. “Also, a lot of challenges on the AI front, with Apple way behind. We see acquisitions on the horizon.”
But Khan’s primary challenge will remain “rewriting (Apple’s supply chain) playbook for a multipolar world,” said Anurag Agarwal, founder of market research firm Techaisle.
He said this is because the ‘China+1’ strategy of diversifying into India and Vietnam is not a straightforward process. “While the COO role at any global company is demanding, taking the operational reins of Apple right now is akin to being asked to redesign a spaceship’s engine while it navigates an asteroid field,” said Agarwal. “Khan is not just stepping into a role; he is stepping into the house that Cook built (as the former COO) —a house that now spans the globe and is beset by tremors.”
Khan is drawing encomiums as more Indian-origin CEOs join the ranks of top technology executives, including 47-year-old Vaibhav Taneja, who was appointed as Tesla’s Chief financial officer in 2023 but made headlines in May when he surpassed the paychecks of top CEOs like Satya Nadella and Sundar Pichai.
Khan will take charge from the current COO, Jeff Williams, later this month as part of what Apple has described as a “long-planned succession.” Williams has long been touted to be Cook’s successor.
In a statement on Tuesday, Cook said that “while overseeing Apple’s supply chain, (Khan) has helped pioneer new technologies in advanced manufacturing, overseen the expansion of Apple’s manufacturing footprint in the US, and helped ensure Apple can be nimble in response to global challenges.”
The handset maker has significantly expanded its footprint in India in recent times. The country has become an important part of its diversification away from China, with exports going up. ET reported on March 31 that Foxconn is aiming to assemble 25-30 million units in 2025, which is more than double their output last year.
Reports also suggested that most of these iPhones are making their way directly to the US. In May, Cook said a majority of iPhones sold in the US this quarter will be sourced from India.
Balancing act
Experts are of the view that perfecting a balancing act between the US and China, where Apple has most of its operations, will likely be at the top of the new COO’s agenda. Furthermore, he needs to meet the audacious goal of making the entire supply chain carbon neutral by 2030.
Techaisle’s Agarwal said the ultimate test for Khan will be to ensure iPhones, MacBooks and Vision Pros are on shelves and at doorsteps on time, at the expected quality, and without sudden price shocks. He called Khan’s work the “silent, beating heart of Apple.”
Recently, reports of the recall of 300 Chinese engineers from the India facility of Apple contract manufacturer Foxconn’s India facility, at the behest of Beijing, sparked concerns locally. China’s powerful place in the supply chain can put the brakes on India’s ambitions to become a key part of Apple’s global value chain, analysts said.
Diaspora cheers
Prior to Apple, Sabih worked as an applications development engineer and key account technical leader at GE Plastics. He earned a bachelor’s degree in economics and mechanical engineering from Tufts University and a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
Apple CFO Kevan Parekh is also of Indian origin. He was the company’s vice president of financial planning and analysis and became CFO on January 1 this year, replacing Luca Maestri.
Sanjeev Joshipura, executive director at Indiaspora, said, “At this time of tectonic geopolitical shifts, supply chain disruptions, and the increasing penetration of artificial intelligence into varied realms of life, being elevated to the chief operating officer role at a global mega corporation like Apple is a remarkably impressive accomplishment.”
