Taiwan: Taiwanese company Foxconn plans to build a factory in India after winning an order to manufacture wireless AirPods earphones for Apple for the first time.
The deal between Apple and Foxconn, the world's largest contract electronics maker and assembler of some 70% of all iPhones, highlights the overall direction to shift production away from China, as AirPods are currently made by various Chinese suppliers.
Foxconn will invest more than $200 million in the new India AirPod plant in the southern state of Telangana, the report said, adding that Foxconn officials had debated whether to assemble AirPods due to their relatively low profit margins, but decided to do so because the deal will reinforce engagement with Apple.
Foxconn and other Taiwanese rivals, such as Wistron and Pegatron, are in competition to win more orders from Apple, the world's most valuable company.
Foxconn Interconnect Technology Ltd., a subsidiary of the company, plans to build a manufacturing plant in Telangana in the second half of 2023, which is expected to begin production by the end of 2024.