Apple supplier Foxconn begins iPhone 15 production in India.
In an effort to close the gap between its operations in India and its primary manufacturing base in China, Apple has started producing the iPhone 15 in Tamil Nadu.
As the company seeks to quickly expand the volume of new iPhones coming from India, a Foxconn Technology Group plant in Sriperumbudur is getting ready to provide the newest gadgets just weeks after they start shipping from factories in China.
The Cupertino, California-based company is engaged in a multiyear strategy to diversify its manufacturing away from China, thereby reducing the risk in the supply chain for its most critical products as trade uncertainty is increased by tensions between Washington and Beijing.
India has aimed to become a manufacturing centre and strengthen ties with the US under Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Also read: Apple testing platforms to compete OpenAI’s ChatGPT
Apple only assembled a small portion of its iPhones in India prior to the iPhone 14, which put India’s production six to nine months behind China’s.
Last year, that delay was significantly reduced, and by the end of March, Apple had produced 7% of its iPhones in India.
Although suppliers are not yet confident they will succeed, the objective for this year is to move closer to parity on shipment timing from India and China, the people said, asking not to be identified since the information is private.
The volume of the iPhone 15’s production in India will rely on the ease with which Foxconn’s factory outside of Chennai can ramp up its production lines and the ready availability of components, which are mostly imported.
The new iPhone, which is most likely to be unveiled on September 12, is expected to be the company’s biggest upgrade in three years.
The camera system will receive significant improvements across the board, and the Pro models will have an upgraded 3-nanometer A16 CPU.
To boost sagging sales, the new family of handsets is essential. This month, Apple announced that its sales had declined for the third consecutive quarter due to weak customer demand in important markets like the US, China, and Europe.
The people stated that Pegatron and a Wistron factory that the Tata Group is purchasing will soon start producing the iPhone 15 alongside other Apple suppliers in India.
Representatives from Wistron and Pegatron as well as a spokeswoman for Apple declined to comment. When contacted for comment, Foxconn did not respond.
Through its Taiwanese suppliers, Apple has steadily grown in India, taking advantage of some of the financial advantages provided by the Modi administration to attract more high-end manufacturing.
As Apple supplier Foxconn begins iPhone 15 production in India, according to a recent Bloomberg News article, it helped Apple quadruple iPhone production in India to more than $7 billion (or nearly Rs. 58,221 crore) in the fiscal year that ended in March.
The rapidly expanding Indian market has been viewed by Apple, which launched its first retail locations there in April, as both a retail opportunity and, in the long run, a significant production base for its products.
Although Apple hasn’t provided specific figures, iPhone sales in India increased by double digits in the quarter ending in June.
Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO, said after meeting Modi during his April visit to India that the company is “committed to growing and investing across the country.”
