New Delhi: Tata Group is set to manufacture Apple iPhones in India for both domestic and global markets within the next two and a half years, Minister for Electronics and Technology Rajeev Chandrasekhar announced on Friday.
“@GoI_MeitY stands fully in support in growth of Global Indian Electronics companies that will in turn support global Electronic brands that want to make India their trusted manufacturing and talent partner and to realize PM’s goal of making India a global electronics power,” Mr Chandrasekhar wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
PM @narendramodi Ji's visionary PLI scheme has already propelled India into becoming a trusted & major hub for smartphone manufacturing and exports.
Now within just two and a half years, @TataCompanies will now start making iPhones from India for domestic and global markets from… pic.twitter.com/kLryhY7pvL
— Rajeev Chandrasekhar 🇮🇳 (@Rajeev_GoI) October 27, 2023
Confirmed by a company statement released after Wistron Corp’s board meeting on Friday, the Tata Group assumed control of the operations of Apple supplier Wistron Corp. The Union Minister expressed gratitude to Wistron for establishing a global supply chain rooted in India with Indian companies in key leadership roles.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s push to incentivize local manufacturing plays an important role in India’s growing significance within Apple’s diversification strategy. This strategic move aligns with Apple’s broader initiative to seek alternatives to China, particularly amid the trade tensions between Washington and Beijing.
“PM Modi Ji’s visionary PLI scheme has already propelled India into becoming a trusted & major hub for smartphone manufacturing and exports,” Mr Chandrasekhar said.
Introduced in 2021, the Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme, with an allocation of Rs 1.97 lakh crore, targets the enhancement of domestic manufacturing, job creation, and export support across 14 sectors. These sectors encompass large-scale electronic manufacturing, white goods, textiles, medical devices manufacturing, automobiles, specialty steel, food products, high-efficiency solar PV modules, advanced chemistry cell batteries, drones, and pharmaceuticals.
Earlier this year, Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal disclosed that Apple recorded exports totaling $5 billion (approximately Rs. 41,200 crore) from India in 2022. He also outlined the company’s ambition to manufacture 25 percent of its global units within the country over the next four to five years.
The takeover of the Wistron Corp factory in Karnataka by India’s largest conglomerate marks the end of a prolonged negotiation process that lasted nearly a year.