Apple on Wednesday communicated to its component suppliers that it wants to obtain batteries from Indian factories for the upcoming iPhone 16 line, in a push away from China, says a report by The Financial Times. Battery producers like China's Desay have been urged to establish new factories in India and Simplo Technology, a Taiwanese battery supplier for Apple, has been prompted to increase its production capacity in India to fulfill upcoming orders, the report noted.
This development comes days after the government announcement said that TDK Corp, a Japanese electronic parts manufacturer, will produce lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery cells for Apple iPhone devices in India. The move is likely to generate thousands of jobs and is being seen as a boost to the country's product linked incentive (PLI) scheme and mobile device manufacturing. The announcement was made by the Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology Rajeev Chandrasekhar on X, formerly Twitter.
TDK is set to establish a manufacturing facility in the northern Indian state of Haryana, generating thousands of new jobs, according to Chandrasekhar, said a report by news agency Reuters, quoting Business Standard.
Cupertino, California headquartered Apple is touting India as a growth catalyst as it aims to shift a portion of its production away from China.
Meanwhile, Apple has also requested its older iPhone models to be exempted from the mandatory uniform charging port rule, as the Department of Consumer Affairs works in favour of adoption of a standardised charging port for all electronic devices, including wearables, said a report by news agency PTI, citing industry sources. Notably, India's move follows the European Union's (EU) recent approval of law mandating a universal charger by December 2024 to save consumers money and cut waste. Apple introduced its latest iPhone 15 series with USB-C charging, giving in to the EU legislation.
It is pertinent to note that India's biggest conglomerate, Tata Group's subsidiary Tata Electronics is planning to expand the iPhone-casing manufacturing unit in Hosur, in Tamil Nadu. Tata Electronics is looking to expand the Hosur manufacturing facility to two times of the current size. Spanning 500 acres and with a workforce exceeding 15,000 individuals, this expansion is expected to boost employment, potentially reaching a range of 25,000 to 28,000 workers. The initial investment for the Hosur facility amounted to Rs 5,000 crore.