Foxconn might start manufacturing flagship iPhone models in India

AppleInsiderAppleInsider
Posted:
in iPhone edited December 2018
Foxconn appears ready to double-down on existing efforts in India and add to Apple's manufacturing options, as it looks to grow iPhone production beyond just low-cost models outside of China.

iPhone X
iPhone X


For the first time, Foxconn may be assembling Apple's handset in its Sriperumbudur plant located in India's southern state of Tamil Nadu. The assembly partner is planning to invest more than 15 billion Indian rupees, roughly $214.2 million in U.S. dollars, on expanding its plant to accommodate iPhone production, according to people familiar with the matter.

MC Sampath, Tamil Nadu's Industries Minister, in a statement to The Economic Times said the project will create as many as 25,000 jobs for the local workforce. Sources claim the state government will announce the deal in early 2019.

Currently, only lower cost iPhones such as the iPhone SE and iPhone 6S are assembled in India by Foxconn competitor Wistron. A report earlier this year claimed Wistron will update its factory to put out Apple's higher-end handsets, specifically the iPhone X. If true, the move would be similar to Apple's existing India strategy, which sees the tech giant marketing older generation handsets at more affordable prices.

As of late, there have been a number of hurdles for Apple's expansion plans in India, including a recently decision to allow the country's anti-spam app into the App Store to avoid a ban from the local cellular networks. A top advisor to Prime Minister Narendra Modi also insisted the country should restrict its import of luxury goods like the iPhone and tax them heavily, further hurting Apple's outlook in the country for high-end sales.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 34
    gatorguygatorguy Posts: 24,213member
    With the US reportedly readying  an imminent ban by Executive Order on any US company's import/use of ZTE and Huawei networking equipment there's little doubt that Apple is preparing for possible retaliation. Better be building fast IMO. 
  • Reply 2 of 34
    wood1208wood1208 Posts: 2,913member
    Long term, China is not a USA problem. but It is rest of world's problem. Sooner you deal with, better of rest of world will be.
    berndogJFC_PA
  • Reply 3 of 34
    SpamSandwichSpamSandwich Posts: 33,407member
    Boy, good luck with that. India has even worse infrastructure than China.
  • Reply 4 of 34
    gatorguygatorguy Posts: 24,213member
    Re: China, ZTE, Huawei...
    They are major licensors of the patents that will be required for the new 5G network in addition to the current 4G. In fact Huawei will probably be second only to Qualcomm. If push comes to shove  I don't expect this to be a political issue only. I see Chinese legal claims, multi-regional lawsuits, and injunction seeking over IP as a likelihood as well.
    edited December 2018
  • Reply 5 of 34
    NemWanNemWan Posts: 118member
    (Strokes chin, stares out window.)
    Maybe if they can't BUY iPhones...
    (Turns around dramatically.)
    They can MAKE them!
    (U2's With or Without You plays.)
    StrangeDayswonderwomanwatto_cobrabshank
  • Reply 6 of 34
    tzeshantzeshan Posts: 2,351member
    India is poorer than China. No doubt about it. 
  • Reply 7 of 34
    anantksundaramanantksundaram Posts: 20,404member
    tzeshan said:
    India is poorer than China. No doubt about it. 
    Your perception of the obvious is just phenomenal. 

    No doubt about it. 
  • Reply 8 of 34
    tzeshantzeshan Posts: 2,351member
    anantksundaram said:
    tzeshan said:
    India is poorer than China. No doubt about it. 
    Your perception of the obvious is just phenomenal. 

    No doubt about it. 
    Just wondering why Apple wants to pursuit a poor market. Tell me does BMW or Lexus produce cars in India? 
  • Reply 9 of 34
    gatorguygatorguy Posts: 24,213member
    tzeshan said:
    tzeshan said:
    India is poorer than China. No doubt about it. 
    Your perception of the obvious is just phenomenal. 

    No doubt about it. 
    Just wondering why Apple wants to pursuit a poor market. Tell me does BMW or Lexus produce cars in India? 
    It has more to do with decreasing their reliance on China-based factories IMO.
    I doubt Apple thinks they'll sell all the flagships built in that factory to Indian customers. 
    edited December 2018 wonderwomanmuthuk_vanalingam
  • Reply 10 of 34
    wonderwomanwonderwoman Posts: 9unconfirmed, member
    Waiting for all the racist comments about India. I see a few but the day is still young. 
  • Reply 11 of 34
    sacto joesacto joe Posts: 895member
    tzeshan said:
    anantksundaram said:
    tzeshan said:
    India is poorer than China. No doubt about it. 
    Your perception of the obvious is just phenomenal. 

    No doubt about it. 
    Just wondering why Apple wants to pursuit a poor market. Tell me does BMW or Lexus produce  cars in India? 
    Um, China used to be a “poor country” too. Apple knows very well indeed what it is doing. Apple is, as is their wont, playing the long game. Watch in wonder as the years unfold....
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 12 of 34
    tzeshantzeshan Posts: 2,351member
    sacto joe said:
    tzeshan said:
    anantksundaram said:
    tzeshan said:
    India is poorer than China. No doubt about it. 
    Your perception of the obvious is just phenomenal. 

    No doubt about it. 
    Just wondering why Apple wants to pursuit a poor market. Tell me does BMW or Lexus produce  cars in India? 
    Um, China used to be a “poor country” too. Apple knows very well indeed what it is doing. Apple is, as is their wont, playing the long game. Watch in wonder as the years unfold....
    Wondering if India is as great as China why there is no Indian company that can do the simple assembly job. Is this technologically advanced that even Huawei is using Foxconn to manufacture its phones? Foxconn is a Taiwanese company. So Taiwan is technologically more advanced than both China and India? Is this obvious like the other poster replied to me? 
  • Reply 13 of 34
    canukstormcanukstorm Posts: 2,700member
    tzeshan said:
    India is poorer than China. No doubt about it. 
    Doesn't mean it'll always be or always has to be that way.  China used to be as poor as India
  • Reply 14 of 34
    canukstormcanukstorm Posts: 2,700member
    SpamSandwich said:
    Boy, good luck with that. India has even worse infrastructure than China.
    That can change and improve
  • Reply 15 of 34
    tzeshantzeshan Posts: 2,351member
    canukstorm said:
    tzeshan said:
    India is poorer than China. No doubt about it. 
    Doesn't mean it'll always be or always has to be that way.  China used to be as poor as India
    Wondering why UK colonized India for hundred years but did not help India industrialize. China was sanctioned by US from 1949 to 1979. After US lifted the sanction China quickly industrialized by hard working for US companies. Some people call it slave labor. The President says China stole those slave jobs. Who is right? 
  • Reply 16 of 34
    JFC_PAJFC_PA Posts: 932member
    tzeshan said:
    anantksundaram said:
    tzeshan said:
    India is poorer than China. No doubt about it. 
    Your perception of the obvious is just phenomenal. 

    No doubt about it. 
    Just wondering why Apple wants to pursuit a poor market. Tell me does BMW or Lexus produce cars in India? 
    Poor people are everywhere: so are very well to do. India has both in very large numbers given its overall large population. 
    anantksundaramracerhomie3
  • Reply 17 of 34
    SpamSandwichSpamSandwich Posts: 33,407member
    canukstorm said:
    SpamSandwich said:
    Boy, good luck with that. India has even worse infrastructure than China.
    That can change and improve
    Other than a large English-speaking population (which is very helpful and gives the people of India an advantage there), it would require investments in the hundreds of billions of dollars to modernize the power lines, roads, water and so much more. China has come a long way in a relatively short amount of time and the language barrier issue is still a big problem, but their infrastructure is far above that of India.
  • Reply 18 of 34
    canukstormcanukstorm Posts: 2,700member
    SpamSandwich said:
    canukstorm said:
    SpamSandwich said:
    Boy, good luck with that. India has even worse infrastructure than China.
    That can change and improve
    Other than a large English-speaking population (which is very helpful and gives the people of India an advantage there), it would require investments in the hundreds of billions of dollars to modernize the power lines, roads, water and so much more. China has come a long way in a relatively short amount of time and the language barrier issue is still a big problem, but their infrastructure is far above that of India.
    I don't disagree with anything you've said but standing by and doing nothing is not an option if India wants to move into the modern age. It needs to invest in itself.  On a side note,  the Civil Engineering Society says that the US needs to invest $3 to $4 trillion into its "aging" infrastructure in order to remain up-to-date.
  • Reply 19 of 34
    canukstormcanukstorm Posts: 2,700member
    tzeshan said:
    canukstorm said:
    tzeshan said:
    India is poorer than China. No doubt about it. 
    Doesn't mean it'll always be or always has to be that way.  China used to be as poor as India
    Wondering why UK colonized India for hundred years but did not help India industrialize. China was sanctioned by US from 1949 to 1979. After US lifted the sanction China quickly industrialized by hard working for US companies. Some people call it slave labor. The President says China stole those slave jobs. Who is right? 
    Countries don't generally colonize other countries to help them industrialize. They colonize them to rape them of their resources.
  • Reply 20 of 34
    anantksundaramanantksundaram Posts: 20,404member
    tzeshan said:
    anantksundaram said:
    tzeshan said:
    India is poorer than China. No doubt about it. 
    Your perception of the obvious is just phenomenal. 

    No doubt about it. 
    Just wondering why Apple wants to pursuit a poor market. Tell me does BMW or Lexus produce cars in India? 
    BMW does. (You can look it up you’re interested; I don’t have the time to give you links). Lexus does not —I think, in part, because, when Indians think “luxury products” they tend to think of Europe and the US.

    In the meantime, if/when you’re looking up, you may wish to take a look at who owns Jaguar/Land Rover. And Pininfarina.
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