After Amazon announced to set up its first manufacturing plant in India, a new report suggests that Apple is now planning to assemble iPads in the country. The Cupertino giant is aiming to participate in a new scheme that the Indian government is planning to introduce. This will reportedly boost the country’s exports of computer products.
As per the recent report by Reuters, the Indian government is going to launch a new performance-linked incentive (PLI) scheme. The scheme aims to increase the local manufacturing of electronic products in the country. It will aid the “Make in India” initiative and will offer a huge incentive to manufacturers for exports.
India will invest up to Rs. 70 billion (~$964.5 million) in the scheme over the next five years. As per Reuters, sources close to the government and the smartphone industry of the country told the publication.
So, Apple is now looking to take advantage of the new scheme to boost its iPad lineup in the country. The company participated in the country’s previous initiative to boost electronics manufacturing via its contract manufacturers. So, the company gained a major part of India’s smartphone business after it started producing iPhones in the country. Now, Apple plans to expand its manufacturing line in India and start the production of the world’s most popular tablet.
Apple is gathering other companies to lobby up for a greater budgetary outlay of Rs. 200 billion. The report also states that Apple will likely start manufacturing iPads in India as soon as this year. Moreover, the company will use one of its existing contract manufacturers to assemble the devices in India.
In the report, one of the sources revealed that “the government is asking Apple to get iPads assembled by its contract manufacturers here, the non-Chinese companies.”
Now, if the trillion-dollar giant sets up its iPad assembly plant in the country, then we can expect a minor price cut for iPads. This could drive the sales of Apple’s tablets in the Indian market.
