Apple’s main iPhone manufacturer in India is set to significantly boost its overall production capacity, following the construction of a third plant in the country.
Wistron won approval to build the new smartphone factory in March 2019 and has already completed trial production at the plant, thanks to collaborative efforts by the Taiwanese firm’s local team.
According to Wistron company chairman Simon Lin, local talent will fill the top- to mid-tier management roles at the plant, which will undertake production of lower-priced iPhones initially, possibly starting with the iPhone 8.
Wistron has two other plants in India, both in Bengaluru, that have been producing iPhone SE and iPhone 6s devices for sale in the local market.
Meanwhile, DigiTimes reports that Apple has continued expanding its mid-tier iPhone production in India, with partner Foxconn already manufacturing iPhone XR devices there.
Apple has been setting up iPhone manufacturing hubs in India ever since Prime Minister Narendra Modi began promoting his “Made in India” initiative, which requires that 30 percent of products sold by foreign companies be manufactured or produced within the country.
India is the world’s second largest smartphone market, but just one in four Indians are said to own a smartphone, providing Apple with an opportunity to sell iPhones to millions of new customers in the country.