In a first, India has begun the export of components of Apple products such as AirPods, MacBooks to Vietnam and China, an Economic Times report said on Friday. The development is seen as a major milestone in diversification of Apple’s supply chain. As per the a report, Apple suppliers namely Tata Electronics, Motherson Group, Aequs and Jabil are making some of the key electronic components for Apple products in India.
These components are being exported to be assembled in China and Vietnam. Experts said that this decision by Apple will help the electronics industry in India. The report also said that in the last 20 years, New Delhi has been net importer, and this export is a turnaround in the supply chain story. Till now, apart from key components, sub-assemblies were also imported from both Vietnam and China.
The report further added analysts feel that India is on path to achieve $40billion export target by 2031. There is also a very strong buzz around the Centre bringing in $3billion PLI scheme specifically for the component manufacturers.
At present, Apple is making only iPhones in India. Soon, the US tech giant will start the production of other products as well. The ‘Made in India’ Apple products will be designated for China and Vietnam shipments, the report added.
The export of these electronic components is part of Apple’s key strategy to expand its supply chain with more local value addition. The company has been slowly yet steadily inching towards moving away from its dependence on China. Apple’s other key suppliers in India include Salcomp, Foxlink and Sunwoda.
