Save over 40% when you secure your tickets today to TNW Conference 💥 Prices will increase on November 22 →

This article was published on February 3, 2017

Apple is reportedly gearing up to manufacture iPhones in India


Apple is reportedly gearing up to manufacture iPhones in India Image by: Apple

Since last May, Apple has been showing plenty of interest in India. CEO Tim Cook visited the country that month; the company announced a development ‘accelerator’ in Bangalore, and also opened an office in Hyderabad to house 4,000 Maps developers.

Now, it looks like it’s preparing to begin manufacturing iPhones in Bangalore. That’s according to deleted tweets from Priyank Kharge, IT minister of the state of Karnataka, that were spotted by BuzzFeed News.

Credit: Pranav Dixit

The two tweets read:

Glad to announce initial manufacturing operations of the world’s most valued company: Apple, in Karnataka. Another validation for Karnataka.

Apple’s intentions to make iPhones in Bengaluru will foster cutting-edge technology ecosystem & supply chain development in the state.

Apple declined to comment on the move, but there’s reason to believe that this is for real. Last December, The Wall Street Journal reported that the company was in talks with Indian government officials to explore the possibility of manufacturing products locally.

The 💜 of EU tech

The latest rumblings from the EU tech scene, a story from our wise ol' founder Boris, and some questionable AI art. It's free, every week, in your inbox. Sign up now!

Plus, a foreign direct investment ruling passed in June 2016 paved the way for company to open flagship stores in the country, and FactorDaily reported that Apple was planning to do so in major cities like New Delhi, Bangalore and Mumbai by the end of 2017.

That could see the prices of iPhones drop across the country and give Apple a better chance of competing with premium Android phone makers. Until then, Apple fans will have to continue to rely on third-party resellers to score their devices in India.

Get the TNW newsletter

Get the most important tech news in your inbox each week.

Also tagged with