Apple to start making iPhones in India from April

Apple will start making iPhones in India from the end of April. Indian IT Minister Priyank Kharge said. The assembly of iPhones in India comes after months of speculation about Apple’s plans to invest in India.

According to Bloomberg, Apple will partner with Taiwanese manufacturer Wistron for this Indian production and not with the manufacturer Hon Hai Precision Industry, aka Foxconn, which Apple usually partners with for production. The minister says he met with some Apple executives in January, confirming the timeline for Indian production.

The minister has told Bloomberg that production will take place in the city of Bangalore. All the handsets produced are aimed at the domestic Indian market. In January, Bloomberg reported that Apple has demanded a number of financial compensations before the start of Indian production, including a 15-year tax cut on imports of components and other materials. The minister denies that this has been discussed.

Apple CEO Tim Cook said this week that his company will invest heavily in India. In addition to production in Bangalore, Apple is also said to be negotiating with the Indian government about opening stores.