Foxconn has begun assembling the iPhone 11 units in India, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal tweeted on Friday. The company is manufacturing the top-of-the-line iPhone model in its Sriperumbur plant near Chennai. To recall, Apple started assembling iPhone XR in the Sriperumbur plant in India back in October last year. According to a report, Apple is also expected to start producing the iPhone SE (2020) in India
The local assembly of the iPhone 11 will help the company in avoiding the 20% tax which is needed to pay for importing the iPhone from its global manufacturing facilities. Apple iPhones are currently manufactured by Foxconn, Wistron, and Pegatron and all are presently expanding their business to the Indian market.
“Significant boost to Make in India!” Goyal said in the tweet. “Apple has started manufacturing iPhone 11 in India, bringing a top-of-the-line model for the first time in the country.”
In the last few years, Indian has become an important market for all smartphone vendors, thanks to the fact that India has crossed 500 million smartphone users. Companies like Samsung and Xiaomi have already started investing in India for their manufacturing facilities to meet the growing demand of Indian consumers. The expansion of consumer demand has lately attracted Apple and its suppliers as well.
Earlier this month, Foxconn, which is the leading supplier for iPhone and other Apple devices, reportedly planned to invest about $1 billion (roughly INR 7,491 crores) in India to expand its current Sriperumbur plant where Foxconn assembles iPhone models. Pegatron, the second-largest iPhone manufacturer, was also reported to make some investment in the country in the coming future.
