Apple set to manufacture high-end iPhone 16 Pro models in India, to arrive soon after global launch

NEW DELHI: In a fillip to the country’s local manufacturing success story, tech giant Apple is set to make its ‘Make in India’ iPhone 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max models available in the country right after the global launch this fall, industry sources said on Friday.

Sources told IANS that these high-end, India-assembled Apple devices will be available within 1-2 months of the global launch in partnership with leading manufacturer Foxconn’s facility in Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu.

Meanwhile, iPhone 16 is set to be made available on the first day of global sales in India, just like last year when iPhone 15 arrived in the domestic market on the very first day of the global sale. It will be shortly followed by iPhone 16 Plus models, sources added.

Last year, iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus had received overwhelming numbers of pre-orders, nearly 50 per cent more than the iPhone 14 series.

The development came as iPhone maker Apple achieved record exports numbers in the April-June quarter in the country, reaching around $3.8 billion, riding on the government’s production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme.

According to industry estimates, iPhone shipments are projected to increase by over 20 per cent this year on the back of domestic manufacturing support and strong distribution.

With iPhone 15, Apple had made India a sweet spot in its future scheme of things -- ‘Make in India’ devices to roll out on the global sale day (September 22) and support for ISRO-made GPS called NavIC.

According to industry experts, they see a definitive trend where Apple is attracting many first-time users for its newly-launched iPhones in India, apart from a robust sale of previous-generation devices which continue to increase Apple’s overall market share in the country.

In the first quarter this year, India’s smartphone market saw shipment of 34 million smartphones, as Apple had a record first-quarter shipment, growing by 19 per cent YoY.

Apple saw a robust around $8 billion sales in the country in the last fiscal (FY24) – a nearly 33 per cent rise (year-on-year).

The growth momentum is driven by its strong brand salience, increased manufacturing and retail focus in the market in India.

According to experts, with rising tensions between the US and China, India offers Apple a strategic hedge to diversify its manufacturing and revenue streams.