According to a source, Apple's top-end iPhones are to be assembled in India by Foxconn's local unit. This step is going to help Apple Inc drop prices in the world's second-biggest smartphone market.
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Though some approvals are pending, the India-made iPhone XR and XS devices are expected to hit the market by August.
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Expanding local assembly will helpĀ AppleĀ save on high taxes levied on the import of fully-built devices, as well as meet local sourcing norms for opening its own retail stores in India.
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Though used by millions of Indians, Apple's premium pricing has limited its market share to a meagre 1 percent to the gain of rivals such as China's OnePlus.
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It has been previously reported that the local unit of Hon Hai Precision Industry Co, Foxconn, would this year begin assembling iPhone X family devices in India's southern Tamil Nadu state. Cupertino, California-headquartered Apple also assembles the lower-cost SE, 6S and 7 models in India through Wistron Corp's local unit in the tech hub of Bengaluru.
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That push has met with some success as Samsung and China's Oppo have expanded rapidly in India, and contract manufacturers likeĀ FoxconnĀ have ramped up domestic operations.
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Apple along with fulfilling local demand could also use India as an export hub to soften the impact of a bruising trade war between the United States and China.
