According to a Nikkei Asia report published on Wednesday, Apple has asked suppliers to start producing some of its AirPods and Beats headphones in India as early as next year.
The talks represent the business’ most recent effort to reduce the possibility of supply chain disruptions in China as a result of Covid lockdowns and rising U.S.-China trade tensions. According to reports, Apple was in talks in August to move the production of some of its HomePods, MacBooks, and Apple Watches to Vietnam. In September, Apple revealed that some of its newest iPhone 14 models are being assembled in India.
Apple continues to produce the majority of its iPhones primarily in China.
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According to the report, Foxconn, one of Apple’s manufacturing partners, will produce Beats headphones in India and aspire to produce AirPods there in the future. AirPods will also be produced in India by Luxshare Precision Industry, which also produces Apple’s AirPods in China and Vietnam.
India is the second-largest smartphone market in the world, and Apple has been attempting to boost sales there. According to the report, the company is now treating India more like a strategic production base, even though its decision to move production there originally aimed to boost sales.
According to Nikkei Asia, India will invest more than $30 billion in its electronics supply chain in an effort to entice new investment.
A request for comment from an Apple representative elicited no immediate response.
