Key Takeaways
- India has granted Apple a major regulatory relief by allowing single-window clearance for importing used machinery.
- The move removes a critical bottleneck, enabling faster setup and expansion of iPhone manufacturing plants.
- This accelerates Apple’s strategy to shift significant production from China to India.
In a significant boost to Apple’s ‘Make in India’ plans, the government has cleared a key regulatory hurdle. The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) now permits the import of second-hand capital goods without a separate license under the Export Promotion Capital Goods (EPCG) scheme.
What This Means for Apple’s Manufacturing
This policy change is a direct win for Apple and its contract manufacturers—Foxconn, Wistron, and Pegatron. They can now seamlessly transfer machinery and equipment from their existing global plants to Indian facilities. This single-window clearance drastically cuts the time and cost of setting up new production lines.
The move is expected to fast-track Apple’s ambition to relocate a substantial part of its production base from China to India. The company has been expanding aggressively under India’s Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for smartphones.
Strategic Impact and Industry Response
Industry experts have welcomed the decision, stating it aligns perfectly with the government’s vision of establishing India as a global electronics manufacturing hub. Faster production ramp-up will cater to both domestic sales and crucial export markets.
For Apple, scaling up Indian manufacturing is a dual-strategy: diversifying its supply chain away from China and strengthening its position in the world’s second-largest smartphone market. Notably, the latest models, including the iPhone 15 series, are already being assembled locally.
