Apple has chosen manufacturer Wistron as the first major supplier of iPhone 8 in India for this year, after several reports that the company has been looking for a supplier to manufacture its products locally. According to a new DigiTimes report, Wistron will become the first original equipment manufacturer for the iPhone this 2017, while Foxconn and a collection of other vendors are being targeted as "a backup" as OEMs. if demand increases.
In a report by The Times of India last month, he said that Apple is looking to build an iPhone manufacturing plant in Bangalore, India, and Wistron as a partner. That plant is believed to have production up and running in April and will be a major contributor to the iPhone supply chain in India by the end of 2017.
In the current DigiTimes report, it is specifically mentioned that Wistron has expanded smartphone production capacity in India and China.
Apple has reportedly selected Wistron to be the first OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) in India for the new iPhones to be released in 2017, while Foxconn Electronics and other manufacturers to become second OEM if demand increases. In preparation for production, Wistron has expanded smartphone production capacity in Kunshan, eastern China and India.
Apple has been trying to increase its presence in India throughout the past year, with an eye toward manufacturing its products locally, and at the same time the creation of a new distribution center in India to consolidate its logistics and supply chain.
The company requested tax advantages from the Indian government so that it could put its facilities into operation, but denied such benefits earlier this month. Still, IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said that India to keep an 'open mind' for future incentive requests for Apple.