New Delhi: Apple has begun early discussions with Indian semiconductor companies to explore the assembly and packaging of iPhone components in the country, signaling a possible next step in its growing manufacturing presence in India.
According to industry reports, the talks are still at a preliminary stage and no formal agreements have been announced. The discussions focus on chip assembly and packaging rather than full scale chip manufacturing, an area where India is gradually building capacity with government support and private investment.
This move fits into Apple’s wider strategy of reducing its dependence on China and spreading its global supply chain across multiple countries. Over the past few years, India has emerged as a key hub in this plan, with several iPhone models already being assembled locally.
Apple’s main manufacturing partners, including Foxconn and Tata Electronics, have expanded their operations in India. These companies are involved in iPhone assembly, component production and after sales services, helping create thousands of jobs and strengthen the local electronics ecosystem.
If the discussions with Indian chip makers progress, it would mark a shift beyond final assembly into more advanced parts of the electronics supply chain. Chip assembly and packaging are considered higher value processes and could help India move closer to becoming a comprehensive electronics manufacturing base.
Experts say such a step would also align with India’s semiconductor push, which offers incentives to attract investment into chip related industries. For Apple, localising more stages of production could reduce costs, improve supply chain resilience and support faster exports from India to global markets.
For now, Apple has not made any official announcement, and sources caution that the talks may take time before resulting in concrete projects. Still, the discussions highlight India’s growing importance in Apple’s long term global manufacturing strategy.