Apple to start making Pro series of iPhones in India

Apple is finally set to make Pro series of iPhones in India, in an affirmation to the country’s Make in India initiative. However, there are “no immediate plans” to assemble iPad tablets and MacBook laptops in India for now.
The iPhone Pro devices will be assembled for the first time in India when the latest iPhone 16 models hit stores globally around Sept this year, though trial production will begin a little earlier, the sources added. Apple has already been assembling non-Pro models in India, the latest being iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus variants.
Once iPhone Pro’s assembly stabilises in India, the models would also be exported to various global markets, similar to what Apple does with the non-Pro series. “The plan has been in the works for the past one year, with efforts to streamline the supply chain for new devices. The results have been positive and the company will assemble the Pro models, something it had been able to do so far,” one source said.
 
In fact, “trials for Pro devices will begin soon”, the source said, adding, assembly is likely to be shared between the company’s all three makers in the country - Taiwanese duo of Foxconn and Pegatron and local player Tata group.
The addition of Pro completes the suite of iPhone models being made in India. Interestingly, Apple has decided to assemble Pro here even when govt reduced import duty on mobiles phones from 20% to 15% in the Budget.
Apple initially started with import of iPhones in India and first started assembling devices in 2017 from Wistron’s plant in Karnataka (this was acquired by the Tata group in 2023). After Wistron, Foxconn - which is Apple’s biggest contract manufacturer - entered India, and then Pegatron came in 2022. Deepening of Apple’s commitment in India, which includes selling iPads, MacBooks, airpods and watch, saw the company’s revenue in country reach $8.7 billion, according to Morgan Stanley analysis.