New Delhi : India would “very much” like the US based iPhone maker Apple to set up manufacturing base in India and the government will “surely” consider the company’s proposal with “open mind”.
“We would very much like Apple to come and have a base in India, they have a base in China, China is under stress. If a structured request come from them, we will surely consider with a open mind,” Ravi Shankar Prasad Minister for Communications & Information Technology told reporters here. Apple has sought incentives to set up unit in the country. A team of the company will give a presentation on jan 25 to senior officials here, reports PTI. Officials from departments of commerce, industrial policy and promotion (DIPP), revenue, environment and forest, and electronics and information technology (DeITY) would take part in the deliberations. In a communication to the government, the Cupertino-based technology major has asked for several tax and other incentives, including long-term duty exemptions, to enter the manufacturing sector in India.
As many as 42 companies are making mobile phones in India, including Chinese firm Huawei and Xiaomi, and no firm has approached the government for any additional incentives.