Foxconn to set up $10-bn facility to make iPhone in Maharashtra

iPhone contract manufacturer Foxconn is in discussions with the Indian government to open a facility to make Apple smartphones in the country.

The $10-billion facility would be located in Maharashtra, India for which Foxconn is looking for 1,200 acres of land.

The report further claimed that though several states had shown interested, Foxconn and the central government had zeroed in on Maharashtra.

Reuters had earlier reported that Foxconn was considering manufacturing iPads and iPods in India, for both local and international sales. Maharashtra industry minister Subhash Desai had also shared the details of Foxconn's interests in the region.

The Taiwanese company had last year committed to setting up factories in Maharashtra and had signed a memorandum of understanding with the state government to set up an electronics manufacturing facility.

Foxconn had also reportedly shortlisted Talegaon-Chakan and Khalapur as likely locations and had taken office space in Mumbai for the production of Xiaomi and Reliance Jio's Lyf smartphones.

Meanwhile, the Indian government recently  rejected Apple's request to sell refurbished iPhones in India letting Apple know that it was in-principle against allowing import and sale of second-hand phones in India to prevent dumping of hazardous electronic waste.

 ''If we are going to manufacture in India, then the investment figure will be much higher than quoted in the media reports,'' Foxconn chief executive Terry Gou, accompanied by group president Calvin Chih, had said in August last year, Reuters reported.

''Keeping in line with all the digital initiatives started by prime minister Narendra Modi, Foxconn is in India for the long run. We want to integrate our hardware strength with India's software strength to help India achieve more exports and create a better ecosystem for doing business,'' Gou had said

Gou had also confirmed reports that the company had signed a deal with Adani but said that it was not only in the handset business. ''We will work with Adani on various sectors like smart power transmission to make it more efficient,'' he had said.