NEW DELH: Apple has started making the iPhone 13 in India, the company said on Monday, as the US tech giant tries to reduce reliance on its Chinese supply chain.
According to reports, the phone is being produced at a local plant of Apple’s Taiwanese contract manufacturer Foxconn, situated in the town of Sriperumbudur in Southern Tamil Nadu state.
Apple has been shifting some areas of iPhone production from China to other markets including India, the world’s second biggest smartphone market, and is also planning to assemble iPad tablets there.
India and countries such as Mexico and Vietnam are becoming increasingly important to contract manufacturers supplying American brands as they try to diversify production away from China.
The iPhone 13 is the fourth model to be produced locally after Apple launched manufacturing operations in India in 2017 with the iPhone SE.
The Indian government has pressured companies into manufacturing locally, including investment rules that require local sourcing for 30 percent of parts. Rising import duties have also played a role and the device can be expensive compared to rival equivalents made within India.
Apple has also been diversifying its production away from China to avoid trade disputes and other issues that might come with a heavy reliance on that country.
Indian production could help Apple weather temporary disruptions at Chinese plants. The company was also reportedly set to move some AirPod and MacBook manufacturing to Vietnam.
