Tim Hardwick
Apple will begin making AirPods in India for the first time early next year, Bloomberg reports. Foxconn will make the wireless earbuds at a plant near Hyderabad in the state of Telangana, starting around the first quarter of 2025.
The plant is reportedly making AirPods on a test basis, with production set to ramp up quickly once production begins. That would make AirPods only the second major Apple product to be assembled in India after the iPhone.
According to a previous report, the decision to set up production in India was requested by Apple as early as 2023. Foxconn officials apparently debated internally for months over whether to assemble AirPods due to relatively low profit margins, but ultimately decided to move forward to “strengthen synergies” with Apple.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government offers financial incentives to companies that make wireless earbuds and smartwatches locally, which influenced Apple’s decision to move production there. The move is also part of Apple’s plan to reduce its manufacturing dependence on China amid growing geopolitical tensions between the country and the United States.
Last year, Apple supplier Jabil began making AirPods cases in India for shipment to China and Vietnam, where the earbuds are now assembled. Apple’s iPhone exports from India grew by a third in the six months through September, reaching nearly $6 billion, according to Bloomberg. Most of the AirPods that will be assembled in India next year will likely also be shipped to other markets.
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