Apple strengthens manufacturing in India! Foxconn plans to roll out 25-30 million iPhones, more than double of last year
Foxconn intends to produce 25-30 million Apple iPhones at its Indian facilities this year, which would be an over twofold increase from the previous year’s output. This comes as Apple expands its manufacturing presence in India and works to diversify its production network, according to individuals familiar with the plans.
The Taiwanese manufacturer has been conducting restricted testing operations at its Bengaluru site over the past three to four months, indicating rapid advancement in its expansion of manufacturing operations across India, the source indicated.
“Last year, the company assembled about 12 million iPhones in India,” a source told ET. “But with their Bengaluru facility also coming up quickly, they have set their ambitions a lot higher, in line with Apple’s push to deepen their presence in India.”
As Apple diversifies away from China, Foxconn’s operations in India have experienced substantial growth. The Taiwanese organisation has increased its investments in mobile assembly within the country, with further expansion anticipated as Apple strengthens its presence in India.
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“The trial runs are the first phase… ,” according to the person cited above. “(the trial runs are) to see if the plant is able to produce the phones at the scale required and without any compromise on Apple’s stringent quality standards,” said the person.
After successful completion of trial runs, Foxconn can proceed to the ‘revenue build’ stage, during which the manufactured phones will be ready for distribution. Starting shipments from the Bengaluru unit will serve as a crucial element in reaching Foxconn’s intended production objectives.
It’s important to note that the impact of US President Donald Trump’s tariff decisions remains a crucial factor, according to industry analysts.
Foxconn’s Bigger Apple Bite
“According to our investigation, Foxconn, driven by Apple, is likely to increase its production in India this year significantly,” stated Lori Chang, senior analyst at Taipei-based Isaiah Research.
Isaiah Research projections indicate that Foxconn aims to manufacture 25-30 million iPhones in India by year-end. This represents a substantial increase from the previous year’s shipments of 10-15 million iPhones from India, according to their data.
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Foxconn’s main priority continues to be iPhone manufacturing, says Chang. He anticipates an increase in India’s production share from the previous year’s goal of 12-16% to 21-25% in the current year. In alignment with Apple’s vision, Foxconn aims to strengthen its partnership, focusing primarily on expanding its manufacturing presence in India.
Foxconn is developing a 300-acre facility in Bengaluru, set to become its second-largest after China. Additionally, the company has established a new unit in Hyderabad for AirPods production, expanding Apple’s product range in India. These complement their substantial iPhone assembly operations at the Sriperumbudur campus near Chennai.
During his India visit in August last year, Foxconn chairman Young Liu emphasised the company’s intention to expand beyond smartphones. The organisation aims to develop products across various sectors including information and communication technology (ICT), electric vehicles (EVs), energy and digital health.
Liu stated during the inauguration of their industrial housing project in Sriperumbudur, “We want to move up the value chain as much as we can in India. That’s what we will be doing in the ICT sector. For sectors other than ICT, we think EVs and energy and also the digital health industry, like wearables for personal use, home use type of medical devices.”
Following the dissolution of its semiconductor partnership with the Vedanta Group, Foxconn has announced a £37.2 million investment to establish a chip packaging and testing facility in India alongside HCL Group. According to recent reports, the HCL-Foxconn venture anticipates imminent approval for its plant and has initiated discussions with engineering, procurement and construction firms, including Larsen & Toubro and Taiwan’s CTCI.
