Even as the Indian government refuses to entertain most of Apple’s demands, the Cupertino-based company will soon take a major step that could bolster its business in the nation.
Mashablereported last month that Apple intends to start manufacturing in India by as early as late April, starting with last year’s iPhone SE model for the first several months.
It appears, Apple has since chalked out bigger plans.
SEE ALSO:The next iPhone's battery might be getting a Plus-sized boostThe company will also be assembling the iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6s models in the nation, reports WSJ, citing a government official.
Unlike in China, where Apple relies on domestic firm Foxconn, the company's work in India will be led by Taiwanese manufacturer Wistron for the assembly task in India. The manufacturing will begin in "four to six" weeks, the report added.
"Almost all preparations have been done for launching Apple's first phase project in Bangalore through Wistron," a government official was quoted as saying.
It's a big move for Apple, which sees "huge potential" in India.
It's a big move for Apple, which sees "huge potential" in India. The iPhone models the company assembles at its India factory will not be subjected to local import duties.
This is big, given that heavy import duty imposed on iPhones makes the smartphone especially expensive in India.
The locally-assembled iPhones will allow Apple to sell to Indians at much cheaper price points.
Apple has been exploring the opportunity to expand in India for quite some time now. The company last year wanted to sell refurbished iPhones. This would have allowed Apple to sell some iPhones at much lower price points. The Indian government rejected the proposal, however.
Last year, the company expressed its intentions to manufacture locally. However, the company wanted the Indian government to offer it a range of other things including duty exemption for 15 years, something Indian officials found "unprecedented." Earlier this week, commerce and industry minister Nirmala Sitharaman told Rajya Sabha (Council of States) that the ministry has said "no" to "most" of them.
TopicsAppleiPhone
(责任编辑:知識)
'Rocket League' Championship Series Season 2 offers $250,000 prize pool
Samsung's foldable phone could transform into a 7
iPhone scammer gets 16 months' jail after running a sham sale online
India will dance to its Prime Minister's tunes on New Year's Eve
Donald Trump's tangled web of Russian influenceHere's George Takei chilling in zero gravity for the 'Star Trek' anniversary
There's nothing like good friends, good memories and zero gravity to celebrate a milestone.。In honor
...[详细]Samsung's foldable phone could transform into a 7
All eyes will be on Apple to really wow with the iPhone 8 later this year, but Samsung could be the
...[详细]Vinci smart headphones have a friggin' screen on them
LAS VEGAS -- The idea behind the Vinci headphones, it appears, was to cram all the technologies avai
...[详细]'Atlanta' wins Golden Globe for Best TV Comedy
Atlantahas snatched its first Golden Globe for Best TV Comedy, beating out Black-ish, Mozart In The
...[详细]Fyvush Finkel, Emmy winner for 'Picket Fences,' dies at 93
NEW YORK (AP) — Actor Fyvush Finkel, the plastic-faced Emmy Award-winning character actor whos
...[详细]Sarah Jessica Parker is wearing a wedding gown at the Golden Globes
Though Sarah Jessica Parker isn't getting hitched tonight, her Golden Globes gown suggests otherwise
...[详细]It's official: Russia tampered with the 2016 election via hackers
The United States formally accused Russia of tampering with the 2016 election.According to a joint r
...[详细]Lena Dunham gives props to magazine for leaving her cellulite alone
Cellulite sucksis a completely natural part of life, and Lena Dunham knows it.The Girlscreator has u
...[详细]Pokémon Go is so big that it has its own VR porn parody now
Behind every great entertainment property there's a cheekily named porn parody. Super Hornio Bros. G
...[详细]Record high spent on political ads despite Donald Trump
Donald Trump's presidential campaign treated political conventions with about the same reverence as
...[详细]