Tata Group will start manufacturing Apple iPhones for domestic and global markets in India in the next two and a half years, stated India’s Electronics and Technology Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar on Friday (Oct 27), in a sign of increasing confidence of global players in the South Asian giant’s booming tech manufacturing sector.
“@GoI_MeitY stands fully in support in growth of Global Indian Electronics companies that will in turn support global Electronic brands that want to make India their trusted manufacturing and talent partner and to realize PM’s goal of making India a global electronics power,” posted Minister Chandrasekhar on X.
The conglomerate had taken up the operations of Apple supplier Wistron Corp, which had made the announcement regarding the development in a board meeting on Friday, as per the company statement.
Wistron was further thanked by the union minister for “building a global supply chain from India with Indian companies at its helm”.
The move towards manufacturing iPhones in India emphasises the country’s growing production prowess, and is a major backstep by Apple from its previous strategy of selling most of the iPhone devices, made in China, to its frenzied customers across the world.
India emerges as major player in in diversification drive of iPhone-making
The financial incentives of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to boost local manufacturing and the strategy of Apple to look beyond China, as a trade war continues between Beijing and Washington, has helped India become an increasingly important destination in the diversification drive of the iPhone maker.
“PM Modi Ji’s visionary PLI scheme has already propelled India into becoming a trusted & major hub for smartphone manufacturing and exports,” said Chandrasekhar.
The PLI (production-linked incentive) scheme, which is aimed at creating jobs, supporting exports and boosting domestic manufacturing, was announced for 14 sectors in 2021.
This included large-scale electronic manufacturing, textiles, manufacturing of medical devices, speciality steel, food products, advanced chemistry cell batteries, white goods, automobiles, high-efficiency solar PV modules, drones and pharmaceuticals.
Earlier this year, India’s Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal stated that Apple exported goods – worth $5 billion – from India in 2022, while adding that the company has plans to produce 25 per cent of global units in the next four to five years in the country.
Source : WION
