Japanese company TDK Corp to manufacture iPhone Li-ion battery cells in India

Japanese company TDK Corp to manufacture iPhone Li-ion battery cells in India،

Apple has announced plans to expand its manufacturing presence in India, in a bid to reduce its dependence on China. The company began assembling iPhones in India in 2017 through Wistron and then Foxconn and currently has 14 suppliers in the country. Recently, Foxconn announced a significant investment of $1.54 billion in India to strengthen its production capabilities.

Now, according to Commercial standard (via Reuters), Japanese electronic parts maker TDK Corp is set to establish a lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery cell manufacturing plant in India, specifically in the northern state of Haryana. Deputy Minister for Information Technology Rajeev Chandrasekhar shared this news on X, saying the move would help create several thousand new jobs.

Another big victory for PM @Narendra Modi ji's visionary PLI project to shift the mobile manufacturing ecosystem to India.

TDK, a major cell supplier to Apple, is setting up a 180-acre facility in Manesar, Haryana, to build cells for batteries that will be used in the… pic.twitter.com/hyJAf6yeqO

– Rajeev Chandrasekhar (@Rajeev_GoI) December 4, 2023

This development aligns with Apple's strategy to manufacture battery cells in India for domestically assembled iPhones and double its iPhone production in India by 2024. Sources familiar with the matter say that the Cells manufactured in the TDK factory will be supplied to the Li-ion battery assembler, Sunwoda Electronics. Currently, Sunwoda imports battery cells from various global markets.

Commercial production of battery cells for Apple is expected to begin in the next 12 to 18 months.

Apple's decision to expand its manufacturing base in India is driven by its desire to diversify its supply chain and reduce its dependence on China. The move is particularly important given the potential for trade disruptions between the United States and China. Apple has reportedly made contingency plans to shift production of its devices to countries like India and Vietnam in the event of future trade disputes.