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Hans India
8 minutes ago
- Hans India
Apple ramps up India output as Foxconn begins iPhone 17 production at Bengaluru plant
Taiwanese electronics major Foxconn and Apple's key supplier has started production of iPhone 17 at its new Bengaluru factory This marks a significant milestone for the facility, which is Foxconn's second-largest iPhone manufacturing unit outside China and has been set up at an investment of around $2.8 billion (about Rs 25,000 crore). The Bengaluru unit, located in Devanahalli, is now operational alongside Foxconn's Chennai plant, where iPhone 17 production is also underway, as per sources close to the development. This follows the local production of iPhone 16 series last year around the same time-frame, ahead of its global and India launch. However, Apple or Foxconn were yet to officially comment on the development. The new facility had faced a brief setback earlier this year after several Chinese engineers left abruptly, but Foxconn has since managed to bring in experts from Taiwan and other locations to bridge the gap. Apple is betting big on India as a manufacturing hub. The company is expected to scale up iPhone production to 60 million units this year, compared to 35–40 million units in 2024–25. In the year ended March 31, 2025, Apple assembled 60 per cent more iPhones in India, worth an estimated $22 billion. Apple CEO Tim Cook recently underlined India's growing importance in the company's global supply chain. After announcing financial results on July 31, he revealed that a majority of iPhones sold in the US in June 2025 were made in India. During the second-quarter earnings call, Cook also confirmed that all iPhones sold in the US during the June quarter were shipped from India. An analysis by S&P Global shows that iPhone sales in the US touched 75.9 million units in 2024. With March 2025 exports from India at 3.1 million units, Apple will need to double shipments through expanded capacity or divert more devices meant for the domestic market to meet this demand. Meanwhile, Apple's presence in India's smartphone market continues to grow. Supplies rose 21.5 per cent annually to 5.9 million units in the first half of 2025, with the iPhone 16 emerging as the most shipped model. In the June quarter alone, Apple's shipments in India rose nearly 20 per cent year-on-year (YoY), giving it a 7.5 per cent market share. The broader Indian smartphone market, however, remained dominated by Chinese brands, with Vivo leading at 19 per cent share during the same quarter, according to IDC. The launch of the Bengaluru factory is seen as a major step in Apple's strategy to diversify its production base away from China and strengthen India's role as a global manufacturing hub.
Mint
38 minutes ago
- Mint
Politics beats the market in Trump's pay-for-play chip scheme
The Trump administration's recent reversal of export restrictions on certain Nvidia and AMD's AI chips to China marks a major shift in U.S. policy and has raised legal concerns. But the deeper risks are political and economic—and warrant scrutiny. His administration decided in July to re-allow Nvidia and AMD to sell their H20 and MI308 chips to China—conditional on a 15% revenue remittance to the U.S. government. Export controls on AI chips were initially implemented by the Biden administration in 2022 to curb China's access to advanced processors critical for artificial intelligence and supercomputing, citing national security concerns. But Nvidia's H20 chip was specifically designed for the Chinese market. Even though it is reportedly incapable of training large AI models, the H20 chip is effective for inference tasks—allowing AI systems to respond to queries based on pre-trained data. Chinese engineers have leveraged the H20 chips for applications using open-source models such as DeepSeek and Alibaba's Qwen, which are increasingly popular in China's AI ecosystem. Trump continued these controls—until recently. Critics, such as Rep. Don Bacon (R., Neb.) and Liza Tobin, who served as China director at the National Security Council under the first Trump and Biden administrations, have argued that the sale of these chips, even under revenue-sharing constraints, undermines the strategic intent of the original export controls. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D., Ill.) likened it to gambling with national security. The Trump administration's reversal appears motivated by revenue generation. Bernstein Research estimates that Nvidia could sell approximately 1.5 million H20 chips in China in 2025, generating $23 billion in revenue; a 15% cut would yield more than $3 billion for the U.S. government. It aligns with Trump's broader strategy of using tariffs and trade deals to bolster government income. However, this revenue-centric approach raises concerns about the erosion of principled policymaking. The arrangement resembles a 'pay-to-play" scheme, where export licenses are granted in exchange for financial contributions. Legal scholars argue that this violates the Export Clause of the U.S. Constitution, which prohibits taxes or duties on exports. Moreover, the Export Controls Reform Act of 2018—signed by Trump himself—explicitly forbids charging exporters for licenses. The deal with Nvidia and AMD may also reflect a broader diplomatic calculus. China dominates the global supply chain for rare earth materials, which are essential for military technologies like guided missiles, fighter jets, and radar systems. These materials are also used in manufacturing key components for smartphones and electric vehicles—including batteries, touch screens, and camera lenses. The U.S. is investing in domestic mining and processing of rare earth minerals, such as at the Mountain Pass mine in California, which is the only rare-earth mining and processing facility in the U.S. But it remains heavily reliant on Chinese exports. By easing chip restrictions, the Trump administration may be signaling goodwill in hopes of securing a stable supply of rare earths. This strategic compromise, however, risks emboldening China. If Beijing perceives U.S. export controls as negotiable or monetizable, it may be less inclined to make concessions in other areas of trade or security. The precedent set by this deal could weaken the credibility of future U.S. restrictions, making it harder to enforce technology bans or secure allied cooperation. And then there are the corporate interests. The role of Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang in shaping this policy shift cannot be overlooked. Huang reportedly argued that restricting Nvidia's access to the Chinese market would inadvertently benefit domestic Chinese competitors like Huawei. He emphasized that China's AI development is deeply intertwined with Nvidia's chips and software ecosystem, suggesting that continued engagement would allow the U.S. to retain some influence over China's technological trajectory. Nvidia also maintains a research center in Shanghai. While Huang's argument has merit, it reveals the tension between corporate interests and national security. Nvidia's dependence on the Chinese market and talent pool may compromise its ability to align with U.S. strategic interests. Investors may view all of this as a slippery slope, in which political considerations begin overriding free-market principles, potentially undermining confidence in U.S. financial markets. Ultimately, the reversal of export restrictions on Nvidia and AMD's AI chips to China reflects a transactional approach to national security—one that prioritizes revenue over resilience. About the author: Christopher Tang is a distinguished professor at the UCLA Anderson School of Management. Guest commentaries like this one are written by authors outside the Barron's newsroom. They reflect the perspective and opinions of the authors. Submit feedback and commentary pitches to ideas@
Hindustan Times
an hour ago
- Hindustan Times
Production of iPhone 17 starts at Bengaluru's Foxconn manufacturing plant in Devanahalli: Report
In exciting news for tech enthusiasts, the long-awaited Foxconn factory near Devanahalli in Bengaluru has finally started producing the iPhone 17 at a small scale. This marks a significant step in Apple's expanding production footprint in India, with the Bengaluru factory becoming Foxconn's second-largest global unit after China. The Devanahalli factory in Bengaluru, Apple's second-largest global unit, began iPhone 17 assembly.(X) ALSO READ | Bengaluru: Here's how Foxconn's iPhone plant is reshaping Devanahalli's real estate market While the Bengaluru unit is still in the early stages of operation, sources familiar with the matter said the iPhone 17 is now rolling off the assembly line on a limited scale - supplementing production already underway at Foxconn's Chennai facility. Apple and Foxconn have not publicly confirmed the development, but the move underscores Apple's accelerating pivot toward India as a major production base, news agency PTI reported. ALSO READ | iPhones made in Bengaluru: Foxconn's Devanahalli unit set to begin shipments by June Production at the Bengaluru plant had briefly stalled earlier this year when a significant number of Chinese engineers departed unexpectedly. However, Foxconn quickly filled the gap with technical experts from Taiwan and other locations, ensuring minimal disruption, the report stated. ALSO READ | Apple India leases 8000 sq ft of retail space in Bengaluru for ₹2 crore annual rent as Foxconn facility nears completion Karnataka Industries Minister MB Patil had earlier said most iPhones sold in the United States in the June quarter will be manufactured in India, as per Apple CEO Tim Cook's statement. Social media was abuzz after the development was announced, with residents and tech analysts sharing their thoughts. An X account called the Karnataka Development Index shared recent pictures of the Foxconn manufacturing unit in Devanahalli. Take a look: How the deal came about The plant, which represents a 2.8 billion dollars (approximately ₹25,000 crore) investment, is the result of a high-profile agreement between the Karnataka government and Foxconn. Signed in 2023, the deal promised thousands of local jobs and the transformation of the Devanahalli region into a high-tech manufacturing hub. (With inputs from PTI)
