Apple Store in BKC, Mumbai (pictured) opened in April 2023Photo Credit: Apple

Apple Planning New Retail Stores in India, Begins iPhone 16 Series Manufacturing: Report

The iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max variants are said to be manufactured in India.

04 Oct 2024, 05:54 by Sucharita Ganguly, Siddharth Suvarna · Gadgets 360

Highlights

iPhone 16 handsets were launched in September
Apple is expected to open stores in Pune and Bengaluru
Government is encouraging Apple to manufacture all products in India

iPhone 16 series was launched in September this year. It includes the iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max. Recently, the company was reported to manufacture the iPhone 16 Pro variants in India, however, a new report now suggests that all four iPhone 16 models will be manufactured in the country. As per the report, the Cupertino-based tech giant is also planning to open more retail stores in India. Notably, Apple opened its first two stores in India in Mumbai and Delhi in April 2023.

New Apple Stores in India

Apple is planning to open four new retail stores in India, according to a report by MoneyControl. These may include a second store in Mumbai, and new Apple Stores in Bengaluru, Pune, and the Delhi-NCR region. Apple's senior Vice President of Retail, Deirdre O'Brien, reportedly told the publication that the company is looking forward to expanding its retail footprint in India.

The report suggests that the retail expansion plan is led by the success of the existing Mumbai and Delhi stores. According to analysts quoted in the report, the two retail stores contributed to more than one-fifth of the company's sales in the country.

iPhone 16 Manufacturing in India

The aforementioned report also notes that the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max manufacturing has started in India. These locally manufactured handsets will soon be available for purchase in the country and for export.

Further, the report states that the complete iPhone 16 lineup is also being manufactured in India. It claims that Foxconn is responsible for manufacturing the iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, and Pro Max variants, while Pegatron is in charge of making the iPhone 16, 16 Plus, and iPhone 16 Pro. Meanwhile, Tata Electronics is reportedly tasked with manufacturing the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus phones.

Apple is currently making iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, and iPhone 13 handsets in India. According to the Economic Survey 2023-2024, $14 billion (roughly Rs. 1,400 crore) worth of iPhone, or 14 percent of global iPhone production, was assembled in India.

The government is also reportedly encouraging Apple to manufacture all its products in the country and the respective states. This is expected to increase job opportunities locally. Notably, the tech giant is working towards diversifying its manufacturing business out of China.