iPhone maker Foxconn to invest $2.2 bn in India, US as it shifts from China
The department has also cleared a $1.49 billion investment proposal aimed at increasing capital in Foxconn Singapore Pte Ltd, a subsidiary of the company
New Delhi
Apple's iPhone assembler Hon Hai, also known as Foxconn, has secured regulatory approval for two of its investment plans worth more than $2.2 billion, in India and the US, news agency Focus Taiwan reported on Tuesday (local time).
The Department of Investment Review under the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) approved the plan for the Taiwan-based manufacturing giant.
The department has also cleared a $1.49 billion investment proposal aimed at increasing capital in Foxconn Singapore Pte Ltd, a subsidiary of the company. This Singapore-based unit will, in turn, invest the funds into Yuzhan Technology (India) Pvt Ltd, another entity under Hon Hai's umbrella operating in India.
The announcement comes at a time amid trade tensions between the US and China, following which, Hon Hai has now decided to diversify its production out of China, with India being seen as an ideal destination to produce iPhones and their components.
Hon Hai will be setting up a new company in the US, after receiving a nod from the MOEA to allocate $375 million from its disposal capital. The company in the US will be in charge of the data center module protection, along with server assembly.
Foxconn, Apple shift to India
According to a Reuters report, Foxconn ships 97 per cent of iPhones from India for its US market. A move which has been criticised by the US President Donald Trump, who told Apple's Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Tim Cook, 'Tim, you're my friend... but now I hear you're building all over India. I don't want you building in India. You can build in India if you want to take care of India, because India is one of the highest-tariff nations in the world.'
Shipments between March and May 2025 were valued at $3.2 billion, with an average of 97 per cent being sent to the US, marking a sharp jump from the earlier 50 per cent monthly average recorded through 2024, Reuters reported.
In May, Foxconn also announced plans to move ahead with investing $1.5 billion in a new component factory near Chennai, despite political pressure from Trump to shift production back to the United States.
Hon Hai expands global footprint
As Hon Hai continues to expand its global footprint, it is now extending its reach in production to countries and regions such as the US, India, Mexico, Vietnam, and Europe. Hon Hai, worldwide, has 223 plants and offices in a total of 24 countries. While it has 54 plants and offices in the US, 12 are in Europe and India each.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Mint
32 minutes ago
- Mint
India's economy holds steady despite global turbulence, says RBI
New Delhi: Despite rising global risks from trade tensions and geopolitical conflicts, India's economy remains resilient, with key sectors maintaining momentum, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) said in its latest State of the Economy report released Wednesday. The central bank, however, warned that prolonged trade policy uncertainty and increasing protectionism could leave a lasting impact on the global economy. 'High-frequency indicators for May 2025 point towards resilient economic activity in India across the industrial and services sectors,' the RBI said, highlighting the economy's relative stability amid external headwinds. The report, published as part of the RBI's monthly bulletin, flagged deepening geopolitical tensions as a key downside risk to already fragile global growth. The RBI warned that a further deterioration in the global environment could undermine trade flows and financial stability. "The intensifying geopolitical tensions too may further debilitate the already weakened growth impulses," it added. It said global trade policy, especially the expected expiry of a temporary US reciprocal tariff truce in July will be a key factor to watch. On 2 April, US President Donald Trump announced plans to enforce reciprocal tariffs on countries that impose higher duties on US goods, framing it as a measure to restore trade fairness. The announcement triggered global concern over a return to aggressive protectionism, unsettling markets and trade partners. For India, it signalled potential pressure to lower import tariffs or face retaliatory duties, and raised fears of stricter US scrutiny on its exports. However, on 9 April, Trump issued a 90-day pause on these tariffs. India and the US have been locked in intense negotiations to secure a trade deal before the pause ends. RBI added that geopolitical developments will also play a major role in shaping medium-term growth for India and the world. The central bank cited ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran, along with the resulting unrest in West Asia, as adding to the global uncertainty. "Since 13 June, however, uncertainty once again loomed large over the macroeconomic landscape in the wake of renewed geopolitical turbulence in the Middle East," it added. The RBI report said that the decision of the RBI's Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) to reduce the policy repo rate by 50 basis points to 5.5% earlier in June, will stimulate private consumption and investment. "A likely undershoot of inflation to below the target rate, at the margin, during the current financial year and evidence of further anchoring of inflation expectations provided the MPC with the policy space to decisively focus on growth by frontloading the rate cut," it added. To be sure, changes in the central bank's policy rate influence inflation by altering borrowing costs. Lower rates spur consumption and investment, potentially pushing prices up, while higher rates dampen demand and ease inflationary pressures. By managing interest rates, the central bank calibrates economic activity to keep inflation aligned with its target. Interestingly, retail inflation cooled to its lowest level in over six years in May, helped by a sharp moderation in food prices, according to provisional government data released on 12 June. Consumer Price Index (CPI)-based inflation eased to 2.82% year-on-year, down from 3.16% in April and 4.8% in May last year, data from the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) showed. This marks the fourth consecutive month of sub-4% inflation, the longest such streak in at least five years. The RBI aims to maintain CPI inflation at a target of 4%, within a flexible tolerance band of ±2%, while simultaneously fostering economic growth. The RBI said that overall economic activity remained robust in May 2025, with key high-frequency indicators like e-way bills, goods and services tax (GST) revenue, toll collections, and digital payments showing strong growth. On agriculture, it said that high-frequency indicators for the ongoing kharif agricultural season point to largely favourable conditions for good sowing, though uncertainties remain on the distribution of monsoon. "High-frequency food price data for June so far (up to 20 June 2025) shows a moderation in prices of pulses while prices of cereals have risen marginally," it said. Meanwhile, gross inward foreign direct investment (FDI) amounted to $8.8 billion in April 2025, higher than $5.9 billion in March 2025 and $7.2 billion in April 2024, the RBI said, adding that manufacturing and business services accounted for nearly half of the gross FDI inflows in May.


Hindustan Times
36 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Big tech's tariff troubles: Why US trade policy has Silicon Valley on edge
A new wave of US tariffs is rattling Silicon Valley. What started as a push for trade realignment has ballooned into a full-blown threat to how tech giants operate, innovate, and compete. From AI chips to smartphones, the cost of building the future just got a lot more complicated, and a lot more expensive. Trade policy shake-up The latest tariff structure is aggressive, even by protectionist standards. Baseline duties have been pegged at 10%, with significantly higher penalties for countries like China (54%), Vietnam (46%), and Taiwan (32%). A direct hit on the countries supplying critical tech components. Semiconductors, hardware parts, and data centre infrastructure aren't just caught in the net. They're at the centre of it. These aren't niche items; they're the very building blocks of AI systems, smartphones, and cloud infrastructure. Experts across the board, from Bloomberg to CEPA, are ringing the alarm over rising costs, slower innovation, and strained supply chains. Also read Looking for a smartphone? To check mobile finder click here. What it means for Silicon Valley The impact on US tech companies is already visible. Capital expenditure plans are being delayed. Procurement teams are scrambling to rework contracts. And product teams are bracing for pricing backlash. Analyst Dan Ives has called it 'a potential decade-long setback,' with the price of consumer gadgets, think iPhones, set to skyrocket. Firms now face a high-stakes balancing act. Do they shift manufacturing abroad to dodge tariffs? Or move production back to US soil, only to run headfirst into export controls and rising labour costs? Neither path is simple. Meanwhile, AI startups and data centre operators are already flagging concerns: critical components for AI servers are getting pricier, potentially stalling momentum in AI rollouts and cloud capacity expansion. It's not just Silicon Valley complaining. Automakers, crypto firms, and clean tech manufacturers are also lining up against the tariffs, citing similar risks to innovation and global competitiveness. How the industry is responding Lobbyists are keeping their cool for now. Many see the tariffs as a temporary tactic, a way to gain leverage in global negotiations around digital taxes and regulation. The hope is that Washington will use this pressure to secure reciprocal concessions abroad. But tech leaders are also calling for clarity. No one can plan five years ahead when the policy landscape shifts every other quarter. Inside boardrooms, the bigger worry is that these tariffs might not be a bluff. If they become long-term strategy instead of short-term bargaining chip, the cost could be massive: slower AI innovation, fragmented supply chains, and a US tech ecosystem caught in its own web of protectionism. Road ahead Tariffs are designed to protect national interests, but if they choke off the innovation pipeline, the long-term damage could outweigh the short-term gains. Silicon Valley now finds itself at a crossroads, innovate under pressure or wait for the next policy pivot. Whether these trade moves evolve into permanent policy or get rolled back under international negotiation, the message is clear: global dominance in tech now comes with a geopolitical price tag. And every company, from startups to Big Tech, is going to feel it.


Time of India
38 minutes ago
- Time of India
Why the US is betting big on digital universities to future-proof higher education
The landscape of higher education in the US is undergoing rapid and profound change. At the heart of this transformation is the rise of digital universities—institutions that embed digital technology and thinking into every aspect of their operations, teaching, and partnerships. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now This shift is not simply a response to technological trends but a strategic move to prepare students for a rapidly evolving economy and society. At the recent Digital Universities US 2025 conference in Salt Lake City, academic leaders, innovators, and partners from across the country gathered to discuss these challenges and opportunities. They acknowledged that higher education is facing pressures from declining enrollment, fast-paced technology advances, and increasing public skepticism. Despite these obstacles, universities are actively embracing digital strategies to remain relevant and effective in educating future generations. Why digital universities are essential for the future of US education Digital universities go beyond the traditional classroom by integrating technology into advising, operations, teaching, and collaborations with employers and government agencies. This comprehensive digital approach creates learning environments that are flexible, student-centered, and responsive to the needs of a diverse student population. A key focus of the conference was artificial intelligence (AI), which many institutions are already incorporating. Broad access to AI tools like ChatGPT is becoming standard, and there is a growing emphasis on AI literacy. President Donald Trump recently signed an executive order titled 'Advancing Artificial Intelligence Education for American Youth,' which aims to cultivate AI skills from an early age. This initiative includes a White House Task Force on AI Education, a Presidential AI Challenge to foster innovation among students, and a public-private partnership model to expand K–12 AI education access, as reported by Forbes . Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Meeting students where they are US higher education faces a varied student body, ranging from traditional 18-year-olds to mid-career professionals seeking new skills. Universities are adapting by expanding online and hybrid learning options, particularly for graduate and continuing education, while still maintaining in-person experiences for undergraduates who benefit from social and community engagement. Transparency about educational outcomes is becoming more important than ever. Students and families want clear evidence of return on investment, whether through job placement, graduate school admission, or other measurable success. Institutions like Pace University are developing workforce-aligned programs and flexible learning pathways to meet these demands, the Forbes reports. Collaboration as a path forward Technology alone is not enough to ensure the success of higher education. Conference discussions highlighted the importance of partnerships between educational institutions, industry, and government. These collaborations focus on AI ethics, workforce training, and lifelong learning opportunities. Businesses are increasingly turning to colleges as hubs for upskilling and reskilling, creating a shared agenda for economic growth. Despite increased scrutiny from policymakers and the public, higher education leaders emphasize the importance of transparency and honesty. The sector's mission remains critical: preparing students to thrive in a changing world. 'The digital future will not wait for us,' one leader said at the conference, underscoring the urgency to innovate and lead change, according to Forbes . As the US embraces this digital shift, it aims not only to keep pace with technological advances but to redefine the very nature of higher education for the 21st century.