Apple is rumoured to manufacture its upcoming iPhone Pro models in India for the first time. As per Economic Times, with this move, the tech giant is set to create over 6 lakh jobs in the country by the end of the ongoing financial year. It revealed that Apple will open up around 2,00,000 direct jobs out of which 70 per cent will be for women. Each direct job will create three indirect job in India.
Hence, the Cupertino-based tech giant is set to create around 5 lakh to 6 lakh jobs in the country by the end of the year. A Bloomberg report had earlier hinted that Apple will start manufacturing iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max models at its Tamil Nadu factory that will debut globally on September 9 at its ‘Its Glowtime’ event.
Notably, Foxconn's Sriperumbudur facility in Tamil Nadu is rumoured to soon start the new product introduction (NPI) process for the Pro models of iPhone 16, and enter the mass production stage.
Since this is the first time Apple is manufacturing iPhone Pro in India, the biggest question consumers would have is: Does that mean iPhone Pro models get cheaper in India? Prabhu Ram, VP - Industry Research Group (IRG), CyberMedia Research (CMR), told Business Today that it is unlikely that Apple will sell them at lower prices. He said, “While local production could lead to some price reductions, overall retail prices may still be influenced by broader economic factors.”
Navkendar Singh, Associate Vice President, IDC, also stated that price will remain unaffected as there are still several factors that affect the pricing. He told Tech Today, “Overall duty on even the assembled unit remains high since most components are still being imported in completely knocked down kits. India is really only Assembling iPhones, with overall value being added being below 10 per cent for an iPhone.”
Notably, the Apple event will take place on 9 September, a day earlier than previously expected. The launch will be held at Apple Park in Cupertino, California, and will be streamed live at 10:30 PM IST. Apple is expected to unveil four models: the iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max.