Apple's iPhone 11 assembly in India has reportedly kicked off

Apple's plan to move its iPhone assembly to India may have finally taken off. A new report from TechCrunch says the tech company's manufacturing partner, Foxconn, has begun assembling the iPhone 11 series in India.

The report cites a person familiar with the matter, claiming that Foxconn is now manufacturing the latest-generation iPhone units at its plant near Chennai, India. Piyush Goyal, India’s Minister of Railways and Commerce & Industry, also confirmed the news via Twitter, citing a report from Economic Times.

Currently, the iPhone 11 production in Chennai is allegedly running at limited capacity, although there are plans to ramp up yield in the future. Nonetheless, the initial batch of units was already sent to local retailers.

Reports about Apple's push for an India-based assembly of its smartphone products date back to as early as 2017 when an Indian minister suggested that possibility. In 2018, amid tensions between China and the U.S., Apple began holding talks to relocate its iPhone production to a Foxconn facility in India.

Those reports gained further steam when Apple CEO Tim Cook confirmed earlier this year that the company would open its first retail store in India in 2021. Foxconn is also investing up to $1 billion in its manufacturing business in that country.

Source: TechCrunch