Apple Exporting from India to boost ‘Make In India’ Plan
Exports from India for Apple iPhones have already started to a few European markets. The Indian government are keen to promote their ‘Made in India’ plan and Apple are keen to ensure India becomes a main export hub.
Wistron Corp are Apple’s India contract industry manufacturer who started assembling iPhones in India in 2016. They are now exporting Apple’s smartphones from their facility in Bengaluru.
“iPhone 6s and iPhone 7 are being exported in quantities of under 100,000 units a month,” said Neil Shah, research director at Counterpoint Research, citing export data that the firm tracks.
The US-China trade war highlights the importance for Apple to use India as an export hub. It’s a win win for both India and Apple and according to recent media reports, Apple has communicated with their suppliers, Wistron, Foxconn and Pegatron to aim to move 15-30% of their production to locations outside of China.
Rather than viewing Indian as a significant market, some industry watches are under the impression that Apple is treating India more as a production hub rather than a significant market. This view is supported with news that Foxconn, their Taiwanese contract manufacturer is set to commence manufacturing their higher-end phones with an initial capacity of 250k devices per calendar month and between 70-80% of this output may be exported.
If Apple were able to scale up their Indian manufacturing operations they may be able to avoid import duties and further allow it to keep its smartphone prices lower, or invest the savings in it retail arm. Apple are keen to set up their own stores in the country and as the average selling prices of devices has slowly been creeping upwards, industry experts say this would be a good move.
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Joanne Carter
Joanne Carter is a British photography journalist, editor, curator, and the founder of *TheAppWhisperer.com*, one of the world’s leading platforms dedicated to mobile photography and art. Since its launch in 2009, TheAppWhisperer has become an international hub for artists of all levels to discover, learn, exhibit, and engage with contemporary photographic practice.Built on principles of inclusivity, accessibility, and artistic excellence, Joanne has spent almost two decades championing mobile photography as a serious artistic medium. Through interviews, critical essays, exhibitions, competitions, and education, she has helped shape and document the evolution of mobile art on a global scale.Her work has taken her internationally, lecturing on photography and mobile art at institutions and events including the Museum of Art in Seoul, South Korea, alongside appearances in the UK and Europe. She has served as a juror for international photography and mobile art awards across Portugal, Canada, the United States, South Korea, Italy, and the UK.Joanne is also the founder of *TheAppWhispererPrintSales.com*, one of the first online galleries dedicated exclusively to collectible mobile art, connecting artists with collectors across Europe, the United States, and Asia.Before founding TheAppWhisperer, Joanne worked extensively in print journalism and photographic publishing, including roles at a paparazzi photo agency and as deputy editor of a leading photography magazine. Her freelance journalism, criticism, and commentary have been published widely in both the UK and the US, with bylines in *The Times*, *The Sunday Times*, *The Guardian*, *Popular Photography*, *NikonPro*, *DPReview*, *Which?*, *Vogue Italia*, *LensCulture*, the *BBC*, and more recently, the *Financial Times*, where her published letters on photography continue to contribute to wider conversations around the medium.Alongside her editorial and curatorial work, Joanne’s own photographic practice has been exhibited internationally across the UK, Europe, South Korea, and the United States. Her work increasingly explores themes of grief, loss, death, memory, and the body.Her current research interests centre on grief, death, and poverty, with forthcoming postgraduate study leading towards doctoral research in these areas.Joanne is currently developing new long-form writing and photographic projects and is available for commissions, editorial projects, speaking engagements, and collaborations.Contact: joannetheappwhisperer@gmail.com)
