After shifting the billion-dollar iPhone production in India, it can be said Apple’s trust in India is growing. The company has now decided to manufacture AirPods in India for export. It is interesting to note that Apple is starting the manufacture of AirPods in India in a situation where the production-linked incentive (PLI) is not available for hearing aids which is prevalent in the smartphone industry.
Apple commenced manufacturing the iPhone in India in 2021 and in 2024, it exported iPhones worth about $14 billion (Rs 1,16,200 crore) representing 14 per cent of global production.
As per reports, first, Apple will start manufacturing AirPods casings at the Pune factory. Then, it will begin the manufacturing of AirPods at Foxconn in Telangana.
Apple will first start manufacturing AirPods casings at US contract manufacturer Jabil’s Pune factory and will then start making AirPods at Foxconn’s new unit in Telangana. The Times of India reported that it would be a “mega operation” and would be focused mainly on global exports since the market for AirPods is much bigger in foreign countries than in India.
The tech giant is rapidly increasing iPhone production in India and has also begun manufacturing the Pro series this year. This work is in collaboration with contract manufacturers like Foxconn, Pegatron and Tata Group. Tata has recently taken over the operation of Wistron’s Indian unit. Reportedly, the AirPods will be manufactured from next year and will be sold in India as well. The focus on exports would mean that Apple wants to create a second large manufacturing base outside China, one of the key centres for its products.
The government is excited about Apple’s plan since its products contribute hugely to the country’s exports. The tech giant has no plans to manufacture MacBooks in India. Meanwhile, the government is encouraging the manufacturing of laptops in India under the PLI scheme. For Apple, India is becoming a trusted manufacturing base to roll out their products since many of its important vendors have set up a base here.
