Apple supplier Foxconn invests $1.5 billion in India to expand iPhone production

Foxconn has invested another $1.5 billion (about ₹12,500 crore) in India as it looks to expand its presence outside China. The investment comes through Foxconn’s Singapore-based arm, which has bought 12.7 billion shares in its Indian unit, Yuzhan Technology India. Yuzhan makes smartphone components in Tamil Nadu and is a key part of Apple’s iPhone supply chain. According to the government, five semiconductor units are already under construction. With Foxconn’s new unit, India now has six semiconductor projects in the pipeline.This investment follows recent approval from the Indian government allowing Foxconn to set up a semiconductor facility near Noida airport. The plant, a joint venture with HCL Group, is worth ₹3,700 crore and will make display driver chips used in smartphones, laptops, cars, and other electronic devices. The factory is expected to process 20,000 wafers and produce up to 36 million units every month.India is building up its semiconductor sector through new infrastructure, government support, and academic involvement. Over 270 institutions and 70 startups are working on advanced chip design, and 20 student-designed chips have already been completed at SCL Mohali.Global players like Applied Materials and Lam Research have also started operations in India, and suppliers like Merck, Linde, Air Liquide, and Inox are expanding to support the industry.This comes a week later US President Donald Trump said he told Apple CEO Tim Cook: “I don’t want you building in India.” Despite these comments, Apple appears to be staying the course on shifting iPhone production from China to India. Apple CEO Tim Cook has publicly stated that most iPhones sold in the U.S. will soon be made in India. That transition is visibly underway at Foxconn’s massive 300-acre plant in Devanahalli, Karnataka. On Monday, operations continued without disruption, and construction of dormitories for workers—a standard feature of the Foxconn model—was ongoing.Foxconn, Apple’s largest contract manufacturer, is investing $2.56 billion (over ₹21,000 crore) in the Devanahalli facility. The plant spans Doddagollahalli and Chapparadahalli villages, located about 34 km from Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport.The first phase of the project (2023–24) involved an investment of approximately ₹3,000 crore, and a similar amount is planned for phase two (2026–27). Foxconn aims to produce around 100,000 iPhones at the facility by December this year.