Apple is gearing up to introduce its latest iPhone 15 model in India along with the global launch, with manufacturing taking place at Foxconn’s Chennai facility, according to a report by The Economic Times.
This move aims to minimize the gap between the Indian and global launches, possibly even making them simultaneous. This marks a significant improvement from last year, where it took about a month for India-made iPhones to hit the market after the global launch.
Anticipating a surge in demand during the festive season in India, Apple plans to initially serve the local market. Apple has played a vital role in driving mobile phone exports from India.
The company has become a key player in the production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme for smartphones. In FY24, its domestic contract manufacturers, including Foxconn Hon Hai, Wistron, and Pegatron, have pledged exports worth Rs. 61,000 crore.
Impressive Growth in iPhone Exports
In the June quarter of FY24, iPhone exports from India surpassed Rs. 20,000 crore, a remarkable increase compared to FY23. iPhones now constitute 35% of all electronics exports and 66% of total mobile exports in the first quarter of FY24.
Foxconn is expected to be the first contract manufacturer to start producing the iPhone 15 in India. Pegatron is likely to follow suit with the iPhone 15 Plus, but trial runs for this model have not yet begun.
Apple’s Contribution to India’s Exports
Apple’s local iPhone manufacturing in 2022-23 amounted to over $7.5 billion, with around $5 billion worth of iPhones exported globally. This has made Apple the largest mobile phone exporter in India, significantly boosting the country’s mobile phone exports to over $11.1 billion, a 91% increase compared to the previous financial year.
Availability
This year, preparations for mass production of the iPhone 15 are in full swing, and the delay, if any, will be just a few days. Apple intends for these India-made devices to serve the local market initially, and exports to Europe and the US are planned to begin after December.
We will know more information in a week, as the Apple iPhone 15 launch event will begin at 10 AM PT (10:30 IST) on September 12, 2023.