In a major boost to India’s electronics manufacturing sector, Taiwanese electronics giant Foxconn has officially begun production of the iPhone 17 at its newly built factory in Devanahalli, Bengaluru. This facility is Foxconn’s second-largest iPhone manufacturing unit outside China, built with an investment of USD 2.8 billion (around ₹25,000 crore).
India Strengthening Its Role in Global iPhone Production
Foxconn, the world’s largest contract manufacturer for Apple, already runs a large iPhone production unit in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. With the addition of the Bengaluru plant, India’s position in Apple’s global supply chain is expected to strengthen further.
The Bengaluru factory will not only support Apple’s ambition of diversifying its supply chain away from China but also create thousands of jobs in Karnataka.
Initial Challenges
Sources revealed that the Bengaluru plant has already started small-scale production of the iPhone 17, running parallel to the Chennai unit. However, operations faced a brief disruption recently after hundreds of Chinese engineers returned abruptly, slowing down the pace of initial production. Despite this hiccup, production has now resumed, marking a strong step in India’s “Make in India” journey.
Why This Matters
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Boost to India’s electronics exports: Apple is steadily increasing its iPhone exports from India, and the Bengaluru unit is expected to play a significant role.
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Strategic shift away from China: Apple is diversifying production to reduce overdependence on a single geography.
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Economic growth for Karnataka: With a massive ₹25,000 crore investment, the state will see direct and indirect employment opportunities across manufacturing, logistics, and allied services.
Outlook
With Foxconn scaling up its Bengaluru operations, industry experts believe India could become a global hub for premium smartphone manufacturing in the coming years. The iPhone 17 being manufactured domestically not only supports Apple’s global supply chain resilience but also aligns with India’s vision of becoming a key player in high-value electronics manufacturing.