Shillong, August 16: Foxconn, the manufacturer behind Apple’s products, is poised to kickstart local production of the upcoming iPhone 15 at its Sriperumbudur facility near Tamil Nadu, in a bold move to advance its ‘Make in India’ initiative.
Sources reveal that Apple aims to introduce domestically-assembled iPhone 15 immediately upon its global launch next month, aiming to shrink the time between launch and availability while boosting exports from India to other countries.
As per IANS, insiders suggest that a limited batch of ‘Make in India’ iPhone 15 units could swiftly be dispatched to international markets shortly after the global debut. Other Apple suppliers in India, namely Pegatron and Wistron (set to be acquired by the Tata Group), are also striving to expedite the assembly of iPhone 15.
The development was first reported by Bloomberg. Last year, Apple achieved a milestone by commencing the assembly of iPhone 14 at the Foxconn facility in India just weeks after its global launch.
This time, the timeline has been advanced even further, aiming to make the locally-assembled iPhone 15 available for purchase in the country in tandem with the global launch and ahead of the festive season, while also facilitating swift exports.
In recent announcements, Apple CEO Tim Cook lauded the company’s strong performance in India, highlighting record-setting June quarter revenues and the successful opening of the first two retail stores in the country. Cook emphasized India’s immense potential as Apple continues to invest in building its presence in the market.
With an average selling price (ASP) of $929, Apple experienced remarkable 61% YoY growth in India during the April-June period, positioning India as one of Apple’s top five global markets. The company maintains its dominant stance in the ultra-premium smartphone segment (above Rs 45,000).
As Foxconn accelerates local production, the ‘Make in India’ momentum gathers pace, driving Apple’s commitment to tap into India’s substantial smartphone market potential.