For the first time, the Cupertino-based tech giant Apple will begin making AirPods in India from early next year, reducing its production dependence on China. According to a Bloomberg report, Foxconn will manufacture the wireless earphones at a factory near Hyderabad in Telangana, starting around Q1 2025. The iPhone maker is reportedly looking to create a more adaptable and resilient supply chain to handle global changes more smoothly.
The factory has reportedly been making AirPods on a trial basis and production will increase once it starts. AirPods will be the second major Apple product assembled in India after iPhones.
As per MacRumors, the decision to set up production in India was requested by Apple back in 2023. Foxconn officials apparently debated internally for months about whether to assemble AirPods due to the relatively low profit margins,but ultimately decided to go ahead with it.
It is important to note that Prime Minister Narendra Modi‘s government offers financial incentives to companies that produce wireless earphones and smartwatches locally, which might influenced Apple’s decision to move manufacturing in India.
Earlier in October, multiple reports revealed that Apple already started the early manufacturing process for the iPhone 17 base model in India.
Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo revealed that the tech giant is conducting what it calls “New Production Introduction” (NPI) work for the upcoming iPhone 17 at a facility in India, rather than in China, where this initial production phase has typically been handled in the past.
