Apple’s Make in India project: iPhone-maker to start trial assembly in Bengaluru next month

iPhone-maker Apple may start its trial assembly in Peenya, Bengaluru next month without waiting for the government to decide on sops sought by the company to start local assembly.

  

• Apple may start a trial of its proposed assembly unit in the industrial district of Peenya, Bengaluru in partnership with Taiwanese contract manufacturer Wistron without waiting for the government to decide on sops sought by the iPhone-maker to start local assembly
• According to an Economic Times report that quotes government officials from Karnataka, Apple has decided to go ahead with the trial run of the assembly. The state has also been pursuing Apple’s case with the Centre.
• “We are working to see that (Apple) brings its entire component making ecosystem to Bengaluru and begins to export from here,” one of the officials was quoted as saying. “We are not much concerned about Apple making iPhones for the domestic market, which will happen anyway.” 
• The iPhone-maker has been seeking sops such as exemption of countervailing duty (CVD) on import of components that go into the making of iPhones and these sops are over and above what policies in place already provides. 
• He expects Apple will pursue its requests with the Centre independent of its Bengaluru plans “because India is a market it can ill-afford to ignore at this point”. 
• Apple is further expected to open up more facilities in India with other contract manufacturers later.