Tata iPhone manufacturing: Tata Group in talks with Wistron for assembling iPhones in India

The discussions with Wistron Corp. are aimed at making Tata a force in technology manufacturing, and the Indian salt-to-software conglomerate wants to tap the Taiwanese company’s expertise in product development, supply chain and assembly, people with knowledge of the matter said.

By: ENS Economic Bureau

New Delhi | Updated: September 10, 2022 01:54 AM IST

2 min read

An Indian company making iPhones would be a massive boost for the country’s effort to challenge China, whose dominance in electronics manufacturing has been jeopardized by rolling Covid lockdowns and political tensions with the US. (Image: Bloomberg)

Tata Group and Wistron — Taiwanese manufacturing giant and Apple Inc’s supplier — are in talks to establish an electronics manufacturing joint venture in India to assemble iPhones, as per a Bloomberg report, which also said that the structure of the deal and details such as shareholdings are yet to be finalised.

However, any such talks would first need the approval of Apple as well the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY). Industry as well as government sources said both the firms have not yet approached either Apple or MeitY.

Sources said that since manufacturing of iPhones in India by its contract manufacturers — Wistron is one such company — is being done under the production-linked incentive scheme (PLI), a final nod by MeitY would be needed if there’s any change in the shareholding pattern. Prior to this, Apple would need to clear any such joint venture (JV). Sources said that since the JV under discussion is with regard to deepening production in the country, in the event it gets formalised, Apple as well as the Centre are likely to approve.

Apple has already established a strong footing in India in terms of domestic manufacturing under the PLI scheme. FE

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