This year, Apple will produce the most expensive iPhone models, namely the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max, in India for the first time. Foxconn will start assembling the new devices within a few weeks after the global launch of the smartphones. This is reported by Bloomberg.

Foxconn has now begun training thousands of workers at a plant in the southern state of Tamil Nadu as it looks to start producing smartphones as close to the global launch as possible. Apple is ramping up iPhone production outside of China, particularly in India, to mitigate the risks associated with tensions between China and the United States.

In the previous fiscal year, which ended in March 2024, Apple assembled iPhones in India for a total value of $14 billion. This represents 14% of the company’s global smartphone production.

In addition to the most expensive models, the company will also continue to produce the basic version, the iPhone 16, in India. Apple plans to make the standard model produced in India available on the same day that the new smartphones are sold worldwide.

In addition to Foxconn, Apple in India cooperates with two other partners – Pegatron and Tata Group. It is reported that these companies will soon also start producing new Pro models. The delay in the production of more expensive models outside of China is due to the fact that they have larger batteries, better cameras, and titanium bodies, which require more specialized production lines.

In addition to the fact that Apple is increasingly ramping up iPhone production in India, the country is also becoming an important market for the company. The iPhone is considered a status symbol for the country’s growing and ambitious middle class. In 2023, Tim Cook visited India to open the first two Apple stores. Overall, the company’s annual sales in the country are approaching a record $8 billion.

By the end of the year, the iPhone 16, which will be produced in India, will be able to fully meet the country’s demand for smartphones. Local production will also help the company reduce the price of Pro models by about 10% compared to imported devices.

Among other things, the new iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max from India will be exported to Europe, the Middle East, and the United States, as demand for more expensive versions in India is lower than for the standard model.

Earlier, it was also reported that Foxconn’s plant in China is hiring another 50,000 workers and raising salaries and bonuses to meet the demand for new Apple smartphones.