Government asks Apple to manufacture, export more from India

The government on Monday exhorted iPhone maker Apple to expand manufacturing base in India, and use the country as export hub, as it promised to line up fresh incentives and sops to galvanise electronics as well as phone industry in coming 2-3 months. Apple’s manufacturing investment so far is only the “tip of the iceberg”, IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said, adding the government wants global giants like Apple and Samsung to have a “robust presence” here. “India will offer you Human Resource, investor-friendly policies, and incentives for making in India, and for exports,” the minister said after holding a CEOs roundtable with over 50 electronics and phone companies.

Apple and Samsung are international players and should work as a team with domestic companies to transform India into a global powerhouse, he said, adding he did not foresee any conflict of interest between the two sides. “Apple has started manufacturing iPhones in India… making components and are exporting as well…Apple is on board as far as India’s success story is concerned,” Prasad said. Apple, which works with Taiwanese contract manufacturer Wistron in India, currently makes iPhone 6S and 7 here. Sources said Apple is looking at assembling more models in the country, although there has been no official word from the company on the same.