In the next few weeks, Foxconn Technology Group will start trial production of Apple's latest iPhone models in India, sources told Bloomberg. This trial comes before Foxconn starts assembling iPhone X at its Chennai factory.
Taiwanese contract manufacturer Wistron in Bengaluru has already started manufacturing iPhone 6s, SE and iPhone 7 models. This is the much-needed push to 'Make in India' that the government was vying for.
Local manufacturing will help Apple avoid import duties of 20 percent. The iPhone maker will be able to open its own stores in the country if it complies with the government's local sourcing rules for single-brand retailers.
"Seen from Cupertino, the India market looks miniscule so Apple's strategy has been myopic. They haven't capitalised on the ground. India will cross half-billion smartphone users this year," Neil Shah, Research Director at Counterpoint, told the wire agency.
Apple is witnessing a falling market share in major markets like China and the US as trade relations between them deteriorate. Therefore, the company is shifting its focus to other markets.
Of the 140 million smartphones sold in India in 2018, only 1.7 million were iPhones. Chinese phone maker Xiaomi rules the market by offering advanced features in its models at lower prices. In the March quarter also, Apple is expecting a 50 percent drop in shipments to India.
Foxconn has two assembly units in India, one in Andhra Pradesh and one in Tamil Nadu, where it produces Xiaomi and Nokia models.
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