'Made in India' iPhones: Apple in talks to expand India production capacity

Apple wants to expand its contract manufacturer's facility in the tech hub of Bengaluru, a union minister said on Tuesday, as the iPhone maker seeks a bigger share in one of the world's biggest smartphone markets.

Ravi Shankar Prasad, the union minister for Electronics and IT said, government officials were in touch with Apple and other mobile phone manufacturers for expanding facilities and setting up new plants.

Cupertino, California-based Apple last week started making iPhone SE at its Taiwanese contract manufacturer Wistron's plant in Bengaluru.

In a statement to The Wall Street Journal last week, an Apple spokesperson confirmed to begin shipping the manufactured units in the country within this month.

In January, Wistron had applied for permission to expand its plant in India’s Silicon Valley. According to reports, the manufacturers also requested to fast-track its application to set up more manufacturing unit in the country.

India is known to be the second biggest smartphone market after China. With sales slowing down in the key market China, Apple is eyeing on India to ramp-up its growth.

Apple holds 10 per cent of smartphone market in India, according to market researcher Counterpoint, and faces tough competition from arch-rival Samsung and other Chinese and local brands.