Jabil Planning To Expand AirPods Enclosure Production In India With New Plant

As Apple looks to diversify its supply chain beyond China, its supplier Jabil is reportedly planning to expand production of AirPods enclosures in India by adding a second facility.

Sources told ET that the Apple vendor now aims to expand AirPods production by leveraging its Tiruchirappalli factory in Tamil Nadu.

Inc42 has reached out to Jabil for comments on the development. The story will be updated based on the response.

The electronics maker commenced manufacturing AirPods components in Pune, India in 2023, and initiated shipping AirPods’ enclosures or plastic bodies to China and Vietnam, since then.

The company has two facilities in Pune where they make WiFi, NFC (near field technology), RFID (radio frequency identification technology), camera optics, and some other power electronics.

As per the report, executives of Jabil from the US met with Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin in Chennai, a month ago, while they also paid a visit to the Trichy facility that is under construction presently.

In September 2024, the company disclosed that it would be investing INR 2,000 Cr for its manufacturing facility in Tamil Nadu’s Trichy.

“They are expected to get back to the state government on their final plan by the end of June or July” a source said.

“Jabil, like other Apple suppliers, is looking to strengthen their manufacturing footprint in India,” another source added.

Jabil had plans to set up two new manufacturing units in India, which will operate as a mix of assembly and manufacturing units, over the next three to four years as it aims to expand its footprint in the iPhone market, as of October last year.

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The development comes about two months after reports highlighted Apple’s initiative to export components of MacBooks, AirPods, Watch, Pencil and iPhones to China and Vietnam for the first time to be assembled and utilised in making the finished product.

These components would be supplied by electronics companies such as Motherson Group, Jabil, Aequs and Tata Electronics.

Meanwhile, Apple’s pivot to India has been gaining further momentum lately, where its new iPhone manufacturing facility in Tamil Nadu has commenced production, while another unit in Karnataka will kick off shipments in the upcoming weeks. 

Further, Foxconn’s $2.6 Bn under-construction plant on the outskirts of Bengaluru is also set to start initial operations with one assembly line within days.