In a bid to enhance the diversity of its global supply chain and shift manufacturing away from China, Apple has communicated its preference to source batteries for the upcoming iPhone 16 from Indian factories, as reported by the media on Wednesday.
The Financial Times outlined that battery manufacturers like Desay in China have been urged to establish new facilities in India. Simplo Technology, a Taiwanese battery supplier for Apple, has also received a directive to scale up manufacturing in India for future iPhone orders.
Union Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, announced earlier this week that Japanese electronic parts maker TDK Corp will produce lithium-ion (li-ion) battery cells for Apple iPhones in India. Chandrasekhar tweeted, "Another significant success for PM @narendramodi ji's visionary PLI scheme in transitioning the mobile manufacturing ecosystem to India."
Companies such as Desay and Simplo are responsible for packaging the electric cells manufactured by TDK and similar companies into modules. These modules are then sent to assemblers like the Taiwanese contract manufacturer Foxconn, which plans to invest $1.54 billion in India, according to a stock exchange filing. Foxconn stated that this investment would cater to its operational needs.
Meanwhile, Apple has approached the Indian government, requesting an exemption for its existing iPhones from the mandatory common charging port (USB-C) for electronic devices. This plea comes as the government considers the possibility of enforcing a universal charger requirement for most devices, akin to the proposal made by the European Union (EU). During a meeting with the IT Ministry officials last month, Apple highlighted that such a rule could potentially impede its domestic manufacturing plans.
(With Agency Inputs)
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