India’s iPhone exports double up

With the US tech giant shifting its factory from China to India due to rising geopolitical tensions there, couple with the pro-industry policies of the Modi government, India's smartphone manufacturing has caught up significantly.

New Delhi, Jan 17: Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'Make in India' mission has not just made iPhone manufacturers prefer India but at the same time attracted them to 'make in India for the world'. According to various reports, Foxconn Technology Group and Wistron Corp have each shipped iPhones worth more than $1 billion in the current fiscal.

Moreover, since the data is only for the first 9 months of the financial year i.e. April to December 2022, the export numbers are expected to be stronger for the whole financial year. Interestingly, the iPhone exports numbers for just nine months are nearly twice the previous fiscal year's total which shows the exports have really caught up and the numbers are only going to move up in the next financial year.

IPhone manufacturing in India

Ever since the US tech giant started its factory in India after shifting out of China with geopolitical tensions on the rise there, coupled with the pro-business policies of the Modi government, India's smartphone manufacturing has gone up significantly. If things work out as it seems, Pegatron Corp, another major contract manufacturer for Apple, may also set up units in India.

Whereas major smartphone manufacturing companies have faced troubles in China, the Indian government has offered peaceful operations. For instance, there were troubles for Foxconn at its main plant in Zhengzhou that forced the company to reduce the capacity and staff quite significantly and operate from India.

Another problem with China has been the reduced demand for smartphones; however, for India's ever growing population demand for smartphones will always be there. No smartphone maker wants to miss the golden opportunity. Additionally, India under 'Make In India' offers several incentives for smartphone makers that includes PLI for manufacturers.

India as an alternative to China

It's true that India still makes up just a fraction of iPhone output; however, the numbers are promising, especially when Prime Minister Narendra Modi plans to make the country an alternative to China. He aims to build India as 'a global factory', especially as it has huge human resources and massive demand for electronic products.

With 'Ease of Doing Business' at the highest ever spot, India is welcoming iPhone makers. Foxconn did not face any trouble when it began making the iPhone 14 in India. In fact, the company had expected a long waiting time but it got all the clearances in record time and started even before its official announcement.

Nonetheless, India under the Modi government offered a surprisingly smooth production rollout for iPhone makers.