Apple has been working to diversify its supply chain from China for its iPhone manufacturing. The Cupertino company plans to begin manufacturing of the iPhone 14 in India after about two months from the device's September launch.
The move comes after the long running trade war between China and the US is forcing global companies to rethink their manufacturing strategies. More and more companies are now looking for alternatives out of China to suit their assembly lines. China’s Zero Covid policy, which has resulted in multiple lockdowns across key manufacturing hubs like Shanghai and Beijing, hasn’t helped either.
Ming-Chi Kuo, who is a reputed Apple analyst, anticipated that Apple will ship the next iPhone from both the countries at roughly the same time. This is a significant benchmark for Apple as it diversifies its supply chain.
Previously, it would take new iPhones six to nine months from the launch date to get assembled in Foxconn’s Indian plant. Now, Apple and Foxconn have reduced this to two months. The first iPhone 14s from Chennai, India would realistically come to the markets in late October or November after their initial release in September. As part of Apple and Foxconn’s long term goal, this time period will further reduce.
The time frame is quite ambitious for the Indian market, as the Diwali festival begins on October 24. iPhones manufactured in India are shipped to global markets just like the Chinese made ones.
Source: Bloomberg
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