High-end iPhones to get manufactured in India, the Indian ministry approves Wistron’s 5000 Cr application

Wistron India has been manufacturing cheaper iPhones the iPhone SE and the iPhone 6s in India at its manufacturing plant in Bengaluru for quite a while now. The Information Technology Ministry has approved the same company’s Rs 5091 crore application of manufacturing high-end iPhones and Wistron can now manufacture the high-end Apple iPhones as well.

This move to make high-end Apple iPhones is said to be a prominent step as part of the government’s ‘Make in India’ initiative. The ministry had also confirmed that earlier in December, another smartphone manufacturer Foxconn had also applied to a Rs 2,500 crore project as well. Further, this move from the ministry is also to make India as a leader in electronics manufacturing, and the country will also be having extended benefits with this new deal. The IT minister Ravi Shankar Prasad had also stated that India is known for its software services and product policies and assured that the government would provide extensive support to software product makers and also protect the intellectual property rights (IPR).

The ministry had said the significant advantages with this new approval include – a rapid workforce, English fluency, and more skilled workers for the booming global smartphone business. It is believed that the high-end Apple iPhones manufactured through Wistron’s factory in India include iPhone 8 and above and Foxconn is said to be manufacturing the new iPhone XS and Xs Max models.

Earlier reports also suggested Apple looking for their new iPhone manufacturing units outside China and this approval might be the first start for it. Furthermore, iPhone manufacturing in the country might also reduce the steep pricing of the new iPhone models, which are due to the heavy import duties imposed by the Government of India.

Source | Via