According to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, trial production of the standard iPhone 17 will begin in India in the second half of 2025. Kuo said that the new product launch (NPI) for “iPhone” 17 will be held in India, and this will be the first time Apple will start developing a new “iPhone” outside of China.

Apple will choose to assemble the standard ‘iPhone’ 17 in India as it has “lower complexity” which minimizes the risk. Apple has been manufacturing older iPhones and other devices in India for several years and is trying to move more of its production out of China. Apple gradually started giving more responsibility to factories in India and started production of the iPhone 14 in the country just a few weeks after the device was launched in September 2022. Production of the iPhone 15 started even earlier, and factories in the country assembled the base model of the iPhone 15 earlier. before launch, but assembly still started first in China.

Apple has partnered with Foxconn, Pegatron and Wistron to manufacture iPhones in India, with Foxconn handling 75-80 percent of the device assembly. Foxconn has invested more than $500 million in India to expand its manufacturing capabilities.

Currently, 12 to 14 percent of global iPhone shipments are made in India, and this share will rise to 20 to 25 percent by 2024, Kuo estimates. In addition to allowing Apple to shift production from China, increased production in India also provides Apple with an opportunity to strengthen its relationship with the Indian government. India is an important market for Apple due to the increasing demand for Apple products in the country.

Apple opened its first retail stores in Mumbai in 2023, but online sales will be available in India from 2020. Source