News Brief
Foxconn
Foxconn is reportedly considering the assembly of Apple’s iPad in India, signalling a major expansion of its current operations focused on making iPhones.
The Taiwanese manufacturer could start producing iPads at its Sriperumbudur plant in Tamil Nadu, reflecting trust in India's growing supply chain for Apple products.
So far, Foxconn and other international contract manufacturers in India have focused solely on assembling Apple’s iPhones.
“Foxconn is seriously looking to start assembling Apple iPads out of its Tamil Nadu facility,” a person familiar with the matter was quoted by The Economic Times as saying.
Another source said that “some rounds of discussions have already happened with the government as well on this”.
However, Mac laptop assembly might take longer due to smaller production volumes.
Apple’s move to expand product assembly in India aligns with its strategy to diversify away from China. Last year, Apple shifted a portion of its product development for the iPad to Vietnam.
According to industry experts cited in the ET report, the skills needed to assemble an iPad are akin to those for Apple iPhones, whereas laptops demand more complex production facilities.