Apple plans to start assembling the iPhone in Bangalore by end April under a contract manufacturing arrangement with Taiwan’s Wistron.
The move by the company comes even as it awaits approval from the federal government for some of its proposals for lowering the import duties on components and for creating an ecosystem of local manufacturers who can supply components for the smartphones, according to sources close to the situation.
The Karnataka state, of which Bangalore is the capital, has announced Apple’s intentions to make the iPhone in the city.
Priyank Kharge, state minister for information technology, confirmed on telephone that the company had been cleared to make the phones in Bangalore and said it was a validation of the state’s industry-friendly policies. Having a leading tech company making its products in the state could also have spin-off benefits in terms of app development and work in the area of artificial intelligence by the state’s highly-skilled manpower, he added.
