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 business works 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 facilities in China, according to people with knowledge of the situation.
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. Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India has worked to improve ties with the US and establish itself as a manufacturing powerhouse.
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.
