14 DAY TRIAL // Apple has started building the second iPhone model in India, as the company struggles to benefit from the local smartphone market boom and at the same time comply with a government initiative called Made for India.
After previously making the iPhone SE exclusively at a Wistron plan in Bengaluru, Apple has now started building the iPhone 6s with a new production line set by its local partner. The approval for the plan was received in March, and a report from The Economic Times indicates that iPhone 6s manufacturing kicked off earlier this month.
The first-generation iPhone SE is produced at the same facility since May 2017, and the report claims that the iPhone 6s was particularly chosen to be made alongside the 4-inch model thanks to its sales potential.
Second iPhone built in India
Despite the iPhone 6s being produced locally, the device won’t become cheaper for buyers in India. Production is only now ramping up and Apple will continue to import the iPhone 6s until demand is aligned with the local output.
Furthermore, many of the parts are built in China and then imported to India, so unless Apple produces all components locally, it’s unlikely its devices would receive substantial discounts for local buyers.
But on the other hand, moving part of the production to India helps Apple comply with a government program called Made for India and requiring foreign companies to manufacture devices in the country in order to be allowed to sell them locally. The government has tried not only to attract foreign companies with tax incentives but at the same time it also doubled import fees from 10 percent to 20 percent.
At this point, there’s no word on any other model that could be produced in India, but depending on how Apple’s manufacturing plans change globally, more iPhones could make their way to the country. A second-generation iPhone SE is still unconfirmed, which means that the first model could stick around for a little longer than originally expected.