Taiwanese component manufacturer, Foxconn, has reportedly commenced production of Apple’s iPhone 11 series at its Indian Chennai plant, as the company seeks to reduce reliance on Chinese vendors during strained US-China relations.
According to the Nikkei Asian Review, iPhone 11 handsets produced in Chennai have just begun to hit some stores in the country, with sources suggesting they are also being considered for export.
The iPhone 11 is sold in India for 63,800 rupees, with speculation its price will be dropped to match local buying perception.
Foxconn is reportedly assembling some iPhone 11 and iPhone XR handsets in Chennai, with other Apple vendor Winstron producing the iPhone 7 in Bangalore.
Apple reportedly commenced manufacture of older iPhones in India via Winstron back in 2017.
It comes as Indian regulators increase incentives for the incremental sale of goods made in the country by big tech giants for five years.
According to Counterpoint Research, around 29% of Apple smartphone shipments in Q1Y20 in India were derived from domestic manufacturing, with around 400,000 units exported in the quarter to mostly European nations.
