Tech major Apple has started production of iPhone XR in India for the domestic market and exports, underlining the government’s efforts to bolster mobile manufacturing in the country, IT minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said on Monday.
The minister also said Salcomp, the world’s largest manufacturer and a major supplier of chargers to Apple for iPhone, has reached an agreement to take over a closed facility of Nokia in an SEZ near Chennai.
Salcomp will revive the unit, which was closed for nearly 10 years, and it will become operational from March 2020. The unit will produce charger and other equipment, and will boast of a diversified portfolio. This will entail an investment of `2,000 crore in five years.
“It’s a very proud moment for India. Earlier, it (iPhone boxes) used to say designed in California and assembled in China. Now, it says assembled, manufactured and marketed, all in India. We welcome Apple… expand your operations in India. That’s our expectation,”” Prasad said, showcasing a ‘made in India’ Apple XR device.