After iPhone 14 gets Made in India tag, here comes premium product No. 2

Apple is planning to begin AirPods Pro production in India by next year. The tech giant has already moved a major chunk of the iPhone 14 series production to India from China. And now it is reportedly planning to shift the production of its premium earbuds as well. Apple is likely to start making a major chunk of the AirPods and Beats branded audio devices in India soon as it has asked its suppliers to refocus on where to ship their components.

The decision seems to be the result of Apple’s gradual diversification from China, to lower the risk of supply chain disruptions caused due to the country's strict zero-COVID policy and tensions with the U.S.

As per the reports, the tech giant is already in talks with a number of its suppliers about increasing production in India, including key acoustics devices. At present Foxconn and the Luxshare Precision Industry are producing a major chunk of AirPods and Beats acoustic devices. Though, It is yet to be cleared which AirPods will be manufactured in India, it is likely to start with the most affordable version of the AirPods, i.e the AirPods 2nd Gen, which have been around for a while. Also, AirPods Gen 3, which comes at a higher price and misses out on basics such as ANC and transparency modes, can also be manufactured here in India. Later on, We might also see AirPods Pro 2 being made in India.

If Apple starts mass production of AirPods and Beats production in India, it will increase its production footprint in the country. Apple started production of some of the older versions of the iPhone in India, back in 2017 after Wistron, one of Apple’s manufacturing partners set up its plant in India. Later on, Foxconn also set up its factory in Tamil Nadu, where they were making non-flagship and some older iPhones for the Indian market.