Apple will manufacture its new flagship smartphone in India, the US tech giant said on Monday, as it looks to diversify production away from its reliance on China.
Analysts say the iPhone supply chain is mainly based in China, but the country’s zero-covid policies and tensions with the US have hurt production.
In a brief statement, Apple said, “We are excited to be manufacturing iPhone 14 in India.
The California-based firm already makes older iPhone models in India through Taiwanese manufacturers such as Foxconn, which has a factory in the southern state of Tamil Nadu.
The latest announcement comes a few weeks after Apple launched new smartphones. The tech behemoth is starting production of the iPhone 14 in India much earlier than previous models, said Canalys analyst Sanem Chaurasia.
“Over the past few years, it has been increasingly diversifying its supply chain to India,” Chaurasia told AFP.
About 7.5 million iPhones – about 3% of Apple’s global production – were made in India last year, the analyst added.
“We expect domestic production of iPhones to exceed 11 million this year,” he said.
Apple’s announcement will boost Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “Make in India” strategy, under which he has urged foreign businesses to manufacture goods in the South Asian country.
