According to MacRumors, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo believes Apple may begin assembling the iPhone 17 in India, marking the first time the corporation has undertaken iPhone development outside of China.

The New Product Introduction (NPI) process encompasses everything from product conceptualization to mass market manufacture. Apple has historically delegated this procedure to its Chinese manufacturing facilities, but this may be changing.

Furthermore, as previously said, roughly 12-14 percent of iPhones shipped globally are made in India, according to the research. The iPhone 17 was chosen for production in India due to its "simplified design," which is expected to lessen potential issues during the development phase.

This breakthrough follows Tata Group's previous achievement as the first Indian business to manufacture iPhones, which was accomplished through the acquisition of the Wistron plant near Bengaluru for around $125 million. This strategy is expected to increase the proportion of iPhones made in India to 20-25 percent by 2024.

According to Kuo, "Apple has the opportunity to strengthen its ties with the Indian government as a result of this acquisition." This strategic move will have a beneficial influence on future sales of iPhones and other Apple products in the Indian market, and will play an important part in Apple's growth over the next decade."

Apple has recently been working hard to diversify its supply chain and relocate a large chunk of its production outside of China. This action could be related to China's strict COVID-19 laws, which halted operations at the Foxconn plant in Zhengzhou last year. As a result, the production of the iPhone 14 Pro models was hampered, potentially causing delays for customers throughout the crucial holiday season.