Apple moved 9 of 11 iPhone manufacturing units from China to India, says minister

India's Union Minister for IT and communications says Apple has moved 9 out of 11 of its iPhone manufacturing units from China to India.

As reported by MyNation:

Union Minister for IT and Communications Ravi Shankar Prasad on Thursday revealed that nine of the 11 manufacturing units that make iPhones for Apple have shifted from China to India. Speaking at the inaugural session of the 23rd edition of the Bengaluru Tech Summit held virtually, he said that even during the pandemic period, "nine of their operating units along with component makers were shifted from China to India."

The report continues, noting that Prasad told the call that Apple had selected the city of Bengaluru to manufacture the iPhone "for India and abroad", further hinting at reports that Apple plans to make phones for export in the country as well as the Indian market.

Apple has made several inroads to encourage its manufacturers to increase their base in the country, driven in part by generous government subsidies and the pandemic, which highlighted the need for Apple to diversify its supply chain.

The report is unclear about just what portion of Apple's iPhone making operation has moved into the country. It could be the minister is referring to 9 manufacturing units out of Apple's entire operation in China, or that the 11 manufacturing units refers to a smaller portion of the total operation. Apple's main supplier, Foxconn, makes most of its iPhones in China but has factories in other locations around the globe.