Wistron, one of the Apple manufacturers building iPhones in India, is reportedly planning to hire up to 10,000 people for its iPhone plant in Narasapura, claims a report for the New Indian Express.
The report notes that the facility is “expected to start commercial production” of the iPhone at the facility in the coming days. Wistron already operates an iPhone factory in Bengaluru around 70 kilometers away.
“We are happy to note that recruitment process has begun,” said Gaurav Gupta, Principal Secretary to India’s Industries and Commerce Department. He added that they are “going to start production soon.” Wistron has not yet confirmed the news.
Apple is ramping up its iPhone manufacturing in India
Apple has been gradually ramping up its manufacturing in India. It started producing handsets in India in 2017. It began with the iPhone SE, then expanded to the iPhone 6s and beyond. For the first time it is now manufacturing present generation iPhone 11 models in the country.
Apple has reportedly asked manufacturers to explore options outside of China. India, which matches China in population, is another good market in terms of having the quantity of people Apple needs to build its devices. From the way Apple has been ramping up manufacturing in the country, it also appears to be finding enough people with the right skill sets.
A recent rumor suggested that Apple is putting together a supply chain consisting of exclusively Chinese manufacturers to build iPhones for the China market. Another international supply chain will focus on markets outside China.
Despite Apple’s India-based manufacturing, however, iPhone usage in the country remains small. This is likely to do with the high cost of iPhones. In 2020, India’s per capita income is around 1,35,048 rupees ($1,800). That puts the iPhone far out of the reach of many people.
