It’s official. Apple is manufacturing its latest flagship iPhone 14 in India. The company released a statement on Monday, confiming the media reports doing the rounds for weeks now.
“The new iPhone 14 lineup introduces groundbreaking new technologies and important safety capabilities. We’re excited to be manufacturing iPhone 14 in India,” said the statement.
Reportedly, the made-in-India iPhone 14 will not only be available for sale locally, but will also be exported as well.
According to reports, Apple is expected to move five per cent of its global production of iPhone 14 to India by the end of the year. The company has kept an ambitious target of manufacturing 25 per cent of all iPhones by 2025 in India, per analysts at JP Morgan.
Taiwanese major Foxconn is currently manufacturing all Apple devices at the company’s Sriperumbudur plant, outside the southern Indian city of Chennai.
As reported by WION, before the official confirmation, Apple had already started working with its local suppliers in India last month to speed up the production pace.
Read more: Apple to manufacture iPhone 14 in India; plans to bring it on par with China
The slowdown in the Chinese economy coupled with the breakdown in the supply chain and frequent electricity breakdowns, exacerbated by the heatwave has made the manufacturing climate excessively difficult in that country.
A concoction of these conditions forced Apple to take the decisive step and diversify its options. By manufacturing iPhone 14 in India, roughly at the same time as in China, the Cupertino-based company is attempting to reduce the gap and bring it on par with China for future models. Previously, Apple manufactured its iPhone 13 model in India, six-seven months after it was launched.
Apple’s growing investment in India stems from the market response it has received in recent times. During the earnings call in July, Apple CEO Tim Cook talked about the doubling of revenue in India. “We set June quarter records in the Americas, in Europe and the rest of the Asia Pacific region. We also saw June quarter revenue records in both developed and emerging markets, with very strong double-digit growth in Brazil, Indonesia and Vietnam and a near doubling of revenue in India,” Cook had said.
Read more: Apple and Amazon post impressive numbers amid an economic slowdown
The manufacturing of iPhone 14, near about the same time as China is expected to be the next big milestone in India’s burgeoning manufacturing prowess which aligns with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s clarion call of ‘Make in India’.
(With inputs from agencies)
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