After expanding the production of iPhones in India, Apple decided to take the next step and is now talking to suppliers to start assembling AirPods on Indian soil.
According to several reports from Apple’s production chain, the intention is to make the company less exposed to possible problems involving China and the United States.
If everything goes according to plan, Foxconn could start assembling the AirPods at its Indian facility as early as next year. In addition, Luxshare is also expected to enter into the deal, as the company produces the headphones in Vietnam.
Although much of the Indian production still ends up within the Indian market itself, Apple is making several adjustments to make India an exporter of its products, that is, with a status similar to China.
The Cupertino company’s intention is to make India the main supplier of iPhones and accessories for the European market. Joey Yen, a technology analyst at IDC, told Nikkei Asian:
India is learning from China’s success over the years and has similar potential to become a very significant player in the global supply chain. It has young engineering talent and a large workforce, as well as a huge domestic market as a base.
It is worth remembering that this expansion of Indian production is happening because India has several incentive programs and tax cuts to try to take factories out of China.
