[News] Reducing Reliance on China, Apple to Produce High-End iPhones in India for the First Time

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Amid Apple’s intention to reduce its dependence on China and promote India as another major iPhone production hub, Indian financial media outlet Moneycontrol has revealed in a report that Apple will manufacture the iPhone 16 Pro series in India, marking the company’s first production of high-end models in the country.

According to the report citing industry sources, Apple will further expand its manufacturing plans in India. It is expected that later this year, production of the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro MAX will begin at Foxconn’s Sriperumbudur plant in Kancheepuram, Tamil Nadu, India.

Currently, the plant is said to be entering the new product introduction (NPI) phase for the iPhone 16 Pro series. Reportedly, if all goes well, it will then proceed to the mass production stage.

At the end of last year, Foxconn announced that its Indian subsidiary would expand its plant, marking one of Foxconn’s rare significant investments in India in recent years.

At the time, some have speculated that this move was a preliminary step in conducting the iPhone 16 series NPI in India. This would be the first time in iPhone history that NPI is conducted outside of China, indicating that Apple aims to establish India as another major global iPhone production hub.

The report further indicates that this strategy is part of Apple’s supply chain diversification efforts, aiming to reduce reliance on Chinese plants and enhance manufacturing capabilities in India. Apple hopes to increase the proportion of iPhones manufactured in India from the current 14% to 25% in the coming years.

Apple began its “Make in India” initiative in 2017 by assembling the first-generation iPhone SE. Since then, Apple has gradually expanded its iPhone production in India, assembling the iPhone 6S in 2018, the iPhone 7 and XR in 2019, the iPhone 11 in 2020, the iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 in 2021, and the iPhone 14 in 2022.

Previously, iPhone production in India lagged behind China’s mass production by about 6 to 9 months. Last year, for the first time, Apple began producing the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus in India immediately after the iPhone launch event. This year, Apple is taking a further step by producing the high-end iPhone 16 Pro series in India.

Additionally, Apple reportedly plans to start manufacturing iPads and AirPods in India later this year, highlighting Apple’s growing focus on the Indian market.

Read more

• [News] Fuelled by AI Features, Apple’s iPhone 16 Shipments Reportedly to Increase by 10%
• [News] Apple Reportedly Doubles iPhone Production in India, while Foxconn Holds 67% Share

(Photo credit: Apple)