According to India's commerce minister, Apple plans to manufacture 25% of all iPhones in the country.
Piyush Goyal, India's commerce and industry minister, called Apple "another success story" as he praised the country's commercial credentials.
"They're [Apple] already at about 5-7% of their manufacturing in India. If I am not mistaken, they are targeting to go up to 25% of their manufacturing," Goyal said at a conference.
In a note from September, analysts at JPMorgan predicted that by 2025, India might produce 25% of all iPhones sold worldwide.
Apple started producing its premium iPhone 14 in India last year. It was the first time the Cupertino, California-based tech giant produced its most recent model in India so soon after its debut. Since 2017, Apple has been producing iPhones in India, however often they were older models.
The devices are being produced at Foxconn's Sriperumbudur factory outside of Chennai in eastern India, which is the primary Apple iPhone assembler.
Apple has been attempting to diversify its production away from China, where it now manufactures the majority of its iPhones. Last year, a COVID outbreak and worker protests stopped production at the world's largest iPhone factory in Zhengzhou, China, which is also owned by Foxconn.
China ordered lockdowns in Zhengzhou, where Apple manufactures the majority of its iPhones, in November. According to Reuters, the firm in China has dealt with staff quitting the site due to COVID restrictions and outbreaks.
Apple stated at the time that due to COVID-19 constraints at its major iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max assembly factory in Zhengzhou, China, it has temporarily limited iPhone 14 output.
According to Apple, the Foxconn-run factory is working at "significantly reduced capacity." It issued a warning that it would send fewer units and that customers would have to wait longer to order equipment.
Due to production issues, Apple's warning raised the risk that it may sell fewer iPhones in the December quarter than anticipated. In the December quarter of last month, it had earlier indicated declining growth.
Even though Apple only holds 5% of the Indian smartphone market, CEO Tim Cook has long viewed the country as a potential market for expansion.
