The first “Made in India” Pro iPhone models will be available later this year. This is the first time the US-based tech giant will manufacture all of its latest phones outside of China.
iPhone 16 Pro/Pro Max Manufacturing in India
According to the latest report by Bloomberg, Apple is considering manufacturing the upcoming iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max models through its manufacturing partners.
Production is said to take place in Foxconn’s plant in Sriperumbudur, in the southernmost state of India, Tamil Nadu. The New Product Introduction (NPI) process for the upcoming Pro iPhones will be initiated in India soon.
That said, India will have to import its initial batch of iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max since the in-house production is not supposed to start “as close to the global debut as possible.”
For reference, the iPhone 16 series is said to be unveiled in September with four models: the regular iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max.
Pegatron Corp.’s India unit and the Tata Group could also join Foxconn in manufacturing the Pro iPhone 16 models.
Apple Manufacturing in India
Apple started manufacturing its iPhones in India in 2017. However, in the initial days, it was just limited to legacy and budget-friendly SE models.
In 2021, Apple started manufacturing Apple 14 models in India—the first time the latest iPhones were manufactured in the country.
Since then, Apple has been manufacturing the regular models of its latest flagship series in India every year.
Even without the Pro and Pro Max models, India accounted for over 14% of total iPhones last year. That’s one “Made in India” iPhone for every 7 iPhones in the world. This is expected to grow 25% year on year this year.
