Apple began producing its iPhone 14 model in southern India less than a month after it was launched, as the company works to expand its supply chains out of China and expand production in India. The company said that “We’re excited to be manufacturing iPhone 14 in India”. Apple’s Taiwanese contract manufacturers already assemble some of the company’s existing models in India.
Apple, which makes most of its iPhones in China, is shifting some of its production outside the country as geopolitical tension rises between Washington and Beijing.
The increased production in India is a win win situation for prime minister Narendra Modi’s government, which has been working to boost domestic manufacturing and exports through its “Make in India” campaign. Apple’s plans said that the new phone would be assembled by Foxconn Technology Group and Pegatron, which have plants in Tamil Nadu, as well as Wistron, which has a factory in neighbouring Karnataka. Foxconn had begun shipping the iPhone 14 last Friday, and that the larger iPhone 14 Plus would be shipped by Pegatron and Wistron by the end of October. Foxconn and Wistron did not reply to a request for comment, and Pegatron declined to comment.
Modi’s government has been trying to build up high-tech manufacturing in a bid to bolster local industry, create jobs and attract foreign companies. Apple unveiled its two new iPhone 14 models this month, part of a push to extend its foothold in the top-end smartphone market. The US tech company would be producing one in four of its devices, including iPads and watches, outside China by 2025.
India has the second-largest number of smartphone users in the world after China, but Chinese brands such as Xiaomi and South Korea’s Samsung dominate the local market.
