In a major win for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'aatmanirbhar' initiative, Apple has started manufacturing iPhone 11 at Chennai’s Foxconn plant.
Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal announced the news on Twitter. Goyal wrote, “Significant boost to Make in India! Apple has started manufacturing iPhone 11 in India, bringing a top-of-the-line model for the first time in the country."
According to a report by Economic Times, production will be stepped up in phases and Apple may consider exporting the India-made iPhone 11, reducing its dependence on China. Apple is also planning to manufacture the new iPhone SE at the Wistron plant near Bengaluru, industry executives told the leading daily.
Riding on the success of iPhone 11 in India, Apple remained the leading brand in the ultra-premium segment (Rs 45,000 and above) in the country in the second quarter this year, reports IANS. Despite facing competition from Samsung, Huawei and OnePlus in that segment, Apple continues to rule.
Meanwhile, Apple is reportedly planning to launch LTE iPhone 12 models in October, while 5G models will follow in November. According to a new report from Japanese site Mac Otakara, sources in the Chinese supply chain claim that the ongoing Covid-19 crisis may have pushed back original plans to launch the iPhone 12 in September.
