Foxconn eyeing to assemble iPads amid Apple's expansion

Foxconn is reportedly planning to expand its operations in India by assembling Apple’s flagship iPad. Currently, the Taiwanese contract manufacturer’s efforts in India are primarily centred on manufacturing iPhones.

Foxconn is considering starting iPad assembly at its Sriperumbudur facility in Tamil Nadu. According to a source, several discussions with the government have already taken place. However, it might take a while to begin assembling the Mac range of laptops due to the limited production volume.

Apple has also started iPad production in Vietnam. The American company is diversifying its production away from China, which is part of a broader strategy that included shifting some iPad production to Vietnam last year. The expansion in India aligns with this move.

iPads in India might reportedly be assembled in a Semi-Knocked Down (SKD) manner before moving to Completely Knocked Down (CKD) levels, similar to the current process with iPhones. This will help in scaling up production efficiently.

If the plans materialise, Foxconn is expected to start assembling iPads in India by the second half of next year.

Producing iPads in India is seen as feasible because their assembly is similar to that of iPhones, unlike MacBooks, which require more complex facilities. This step would also benefit from India's production-linked incentives (PLI 2.0 for IT Hardware).