Sufficiently rare to underline it, Apple has just formalized the launch of the manufacture of its flagship, the iPhone 13 in India. The place of production was not communicated but according to several sources it should be in the city of Sriperumbudur, in the southern state of Tamil Nadu, about forty kilometers from Chennai. This is the fourth iPhone assembled in India..
Apple does not want to be dependent on one country
Geopolitical tensions, containment measures, shortage of semiconductors, trade war, Apple wishes to diversify its production outside of China. The Apple firm no longer wants to be dependent on one and the same country.
The health crisis served as an electric shock. The implementation of containment measures in certain countries has caused a drop in production. Large groups like Apple have had to face supply problems..
The American company has therefore decided to move some production sites outside of China. This is particularly the case for the iPhone 13, part of which will be assembled in India, the world's second largest smartphone market.
Apple did not specify the exact location of production. But the Taiwanese subcontractor Foxconn has a factory in the city of Sriperumbudur. According to several sources, it could be used to assemble future iPhone 13s in India..
This country has become in the space of a few years one of the largest smartphone markets in the world. And the prospects for development there are significant if we are to believe the latest figures published.
Smartphone sales in India increased by 12% in 2021 compared to the previous year (source: Canalys). Conversely, the Chinese market is showing signs of weakness.
The phone replacement cycle is getting longer. Smartphone sales have thus fallen by 9% in China compared to 2020. The arrival of 5G offers and very high-speed compatible phones have not been able to stem the decline of the market.
India, the new eldorado of Tech
Over the past ten years, shopping centers have multiplied in India. International brands and brands (fashion, luxury, etc.) are establishing themselves little by little. The middle class today represents around 100 to 200 million consumers.
The latter are now ready to spend large sums of money for high-end phones. Analysts therefore expect a strong increase in iPhone sales in the coming years.
This phenomenon should further accelerate because the Indian subcontinent grants strong tax incentives to those who produce locally. And then Apple should very soon open its first Apple Store in India.