Last week, Apple began manufacturing the latest iPhones, the iPhone 13 series, in India. Production, which is handled by one of Foxconn’s main suppliers, has started in Chennai. The news came around the same time that another Apple iPhone supplier, Pegatron, had closed a store in China due to the Covid lockdown. Now, it looks like Foxconn is trying a little harder to keep up with iPhone demand as it doubles the country’s iPhone production. It is reported by The Economic Times.
Foxconn announces iPhone ramp-up facility
It was mentioned that Foxconn plans to double the number of staff at its Chennai plant to increase production and meet higher demands. The iPhone maker has reportedly received government approval to denotate 40 acres at the Foxconn plant near Chennai. This will allow them to increase iPhone production.
“The expansion was on the cards. Some of their space has been set aside for ramping up production, for which they need to increase their workforce,” a person with knowledge of the developments told The Economic Times. Foxconn has also reopened dormitories, bringing nearly 10,000 of its 15,000 workers back into the company’s housing. These hostels were closed at the end of last year due to cases of food poisoning. “By the first week of May, Foxconn will be able to return all of its workforce to the dormitories,”a person with knowledge of Foxconn’s workforce at the plant told ET.
Moving Forces Outside of China, but COVID Threat Still Looms
Apple is actively promoting its product lines outside of China. With the production of the iPhone 13 at Foxconn’s Chennai plant, the company appears to have expanded its presence in the market. Its partner manufacturers, Wistron and Pegatron, also make older iPhones in the country, including the iPhone 11, iPhone 12, and iPhone SE. However, the firm still doesn’t manufacture “Pro”iPhone models in India.
However, we have yet to see how Apple plans to handle the Covid-19 situation, given that the new variant has closed several factories in China and is slowly spreading to neighboring countries, including India. Apple executives are likely to shed light on supply and demand constraints on April 28 when the company announces second-quarter earnings.