Apple asks suppliers to shift some AirPods, Beats manufacturing to India

(Reuters) -Apple Inc is asking its suppliers to maneuver some AirPods and Beats headphone manufacturing to India for the primary time, reported on Wednesday, in what could possibly be an one other win for New Delhi in its push for native manufacturing.

Apple (NASDAQ:) iPhone assembler Foxconn is making ready to make Beats headphones in India and hopes to finally produce AirPods within the nation as effectively, the report mentioned, citing sources.

Luxshare Precision Trade, a Chinese language provider to the iPhone maker, and its items additionally plan to assist Apple make AirPods in India, in line with the report.

Nonetheless, Luxshare is focusing extra on its Vietnamese AirPods operations for now and could possibly be slower than its rivals in beginning significant manufacturing of Apple merchandise in India, the Nikkei newspaper mentioned.

Apple didn’t instantly reply to a Reuters’ request for remark.

The tech large has been shifting some areas of iPhone manufacturing from China to different markets, together with India, the place it began manufacturing iPhone 13 earlier this yr, and can also be planning to assemble iPad tablets. The corporate introduced final week its plans to fabricate the newest iPhone 14 in India.

A Bloomberg Information report from Tuesday mentioned iPhone exports from India crossed $1 billion in 5 months since April and are set to achieve $2.5 billion within the 12 months via March 2023.

Apple’s newest transfer is a part of its gradual diversification from China, the Nikkei report mentioned. India and different nations resembling Mexico and Vietnam are more and more turning necessary to contract producers supplying to American manufacturers amid COVID-related lockdowns in China and simmering tensions between Washington and Beijing.