Foxconn To Manufacture iPhone 16 Pro In India

Apple supplier Foxconn is reportedly gearing up to start making of iPhone 16 Pro Series at its Tamil Nadu, a move that aligns with Apple’s broader strategy to move production away from China.

As per PTI, the company has procured equipment worth $31 Mn for its India plant.

Foxconn in an exchange filing stated that its Indian unit, Subsidiary Foxconn Hon Hai Technology India Mega Development Private Limited, obtained machinery equipment” with a total transaction amount of “USD 31,804,528.45” from “APPLE OPERATIONS LIMITED”. 

The developments follow Apple’s announcement earlier this month that it will soon begin rolling out its first-ever “made in India” iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max series. The supply of these devices is expected to commence by late October or early November. 

Last month, the Taiwanese giant was reportedly eyeing a $1 Bn investment for setting up a smartphone display module assembly plant in Tamil Nadu. 

In August, Foxconn Singapore bought 1.203 Bn ordinary shares from its Indian unit, Foxconn Hon Hai Technology India Mega Development Private Ltd, infusing around $144 Mn into its Indian unit.

In the same month, at least three different state governments in South India were said to be offering sops and land parcels to electronics manufacturer Foxconn to set up a facility in their respective regions.

It is pertinent to note that Foxconn’s chairman Young Liu has previously claimed that the company has already injected $10 Bn capital in India so far. 

While the company has been consolidating its production capacity in India lately,  in came in a negative light recently over a report citing Foxconn’s discriminatory hiring practices of excluding married women from jobs at its iPhone assembly facility in India.

Following this, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) issued notices to the central labour ministry and the state government, seeking a detailed report on the case. Officials from the labour department visited Foxconn’s factory in July.

Apart from Foxconn, other major electronics companies have also significantly expanded their footprint in India, with Wistron, Tata Electronics, and Kaynes Technology leading this trend.