Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) is actively collaborating with Indian firms to locally manufacture the specialized equipment required for assembling its flagship iPhone models in India, according to Business Standard. This initiative forms part of Apple’s wider plan to boost its production capabilities within the country.
The tech giant, headquartered in California, is looking to procure production tools domestically and supply them to its contract manufacturers based in India, a strategy confirmed by a senior official from India’s Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology. Apple has previously unveiled ambitious targets to ramp up iPhone manufacturing in India, driven in part by rising U.S. tariffs on products imported from China.
Although Apple continues its manufacturing operations in China, the company has expressed a goal to eventually produce all iPhones sold in the U.S. through its Indian plants. This local sourcing of manufacturing equipment also signals Apple’s effort to reduce dependence on China, which has historically been the dominant supplier of key production machinery for iPhones.
India’s importance as a hub for iPhone assembly has steadily increased, with key manufacturers like Foxconn, Pegatron, and Tata Electronics expanding their output significantly over recent years. Foxconn, Apple’s largest contract partner, is set to invest $1.5 billion in a new components manufacturing facility in Tamil Nadu, highlighting India’s growing role in Apple’s global supply chain.