Sources indicated on Tuesday that the return of Chinese technology professionals from a facility associated with an Apple vendor would not affect the production of the upcoming iPhone 17. They noted that Apple remains on track to increase production levels in India. It was reported that Apple vendors in India, including Foxconn and Tata Electronics, have experienced an improvement in the sourcing of capital goods from China, which are essential for iPhone production. One source confirmed, stating that the departure of Chinese professionals from Foxconn had no impact on the iPhone production schedule, emphasising that the production of the iPhone 17 in India would proceed as planned.
Chinese professionals
Reports suggested that hundreds of Chinese professionals who had been working at Foxconn’s operations in India returned to China over the past two months. These engineers were reportedly involved in tasks such as operating assembly lines, designing factory layouts, and training local talent in the use of tools and machinery for iPhone assembly.
Another source said that there has been a noticeable easing in the supply of capital goods from China, reaffirming that this situation would not disrupt the production of iPhones in India. They added that Apple’s intentions to boost production in India remain unchanged. Various sources indicated that Apple aims to increase iPhone production to 60 million units this year, up from approximately 35-40 million units produced in 2024-25.
iPhones sold in the United States
During a second-quarter earnings call, Apple CEO Tim Cook had declared that all iPhones sold in the United States during the June quarter would be shipped from India. The India-assembled iPhones are produced at a Foxconn factory located in Tamil Nadu. Additionally, Tata Electronics, which operates Pegatron Corp's branches in India, is also a key manufacturer. Both Tata and Foxconn are in the process of constructing new plants and enhancing their production capacities to meet the increased demand for iPhones.
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Inputs from PTI
