After taking chip making unit to Gujarat, Vedanta reportedly plans to manufacture iPhones in Maharashtra

Late last year Gujarat had surged past Maharashtra in manufacturing with a Gross Value Addition of Rs 5.11 lakh crore as per RBI data. That was an early sign of developments such as Vedanta-Foxconn preferring Gujarat over Maharashtra to set up a semiconductor plant. This loss to Gujarat has triggered a political storm in Maharashtra with the opposition and the new Shinde government blaming each other.

But in a recent interview to CNBC TV18, Vedanta Chairman Anil Agarwal has revealed plans to set up a hub for manufacturing iPhones in Maharashtra. The firm wants to scale up India’s electronics manufacturing capacity, ahead of its expected entry into the electric vehicle industry. The statement comes amid fresh salvos fired against the Maharashtra government by Shiv Sena leader Aditya Thackeray, for losing India’s first chip manufacturing project worth Rs 1.54 lakh crore. Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray also called for an inquiry into reasons behind the project being bagged by Gujarat over Maharashtra.

The jolt to Maharashtra came weeks after Union Minister of State for Electronics and IT Rajeev Chandrasekhar hailed Gujarat’s adoption of a semiconductor policy. He had said that Gujarat has a higher chance of becoming a chip manufacturing hub thanks to the move.

Race to become the first Indian iPhone-maker

Apple has already been manufacturing iPhones in India since 2017, at a plant owned by Taiwanese giant Foxconn near Chennai. Recent reports by Bloomberg suggested that Tata is also in the race to become the first Indian firm to manufacture iPhones, along with its partner Winstron.

Although manufacturing of iPhone 14 will soon commence at Foxconn’s Chennai plant, the device won’t be any cheaper for Indians, since Apple is still procuring components from China.