AirPods to Be Made in India for the First Time Next Year

Apple will begin making AirPods in India for the first time early next year, reports Bloomberg. Foxconn will make the wireless earphones at a factory near Hyderabad in Telangana state, beginning around Q1 2025.

apple india
The factory has reportedly been making AirPods on a trial basis, with manufacturing set to ramp up quickly after production begins. It will make AirPods only the second major Apple product to be assembled in India after the iPhone.

The decision to set up production in India was requested by Apple back in 2023, according to a previous report. Foxconn officials apparently debated internally for months about whether to assemble AirPods due to the relatively low profit margins, but ultimately decided to go ahead with it to "reinforce engagement" with Apple.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government offers financial incentives to companies that produce wireless earphones and smartwatches locally, which influenced Apple's decision to move manufacturing there. The move is also part of Apple's plan to reduce its production reliance on China amid rising geopolitical tensions between the country and the United States.

Last year, Apple supplier Jabil began making AirPods enclosures in India for shipping to China and Vietnam, where the earphones are currently assembled. According to Bloomberg's sources, exports of Apple iPhones from India jumped by a third in the six months through September, reaching nearly $6 billion. Most of the AirPods to be assembled in India next year will likely also be shipped to other markets.

Tag: India

Popular Stories

Apple iPhone 16e Feature

Apple Announces iPhone 16e With A18 Chip and Apple Intelligence, Pricing Starts at $599

Wednesday February 19, 2025 8:02 am PST by
Apple today introduced the iPhone 16e, its newest entry-level smartphone. The device succeeds the third-generation iPhone SE, which has now been discontinued. The iPhone 16e features a larger 6.1-inch OLED display, up from a 4.7-inch LCD on the iPhone SE. The display has a notch for Face ID, and this means that Apple no longer sells any iPhones with a Touch ID fingerprint button, marking the ...
iphone 17 pro asherdipps

iPhone 17 Pro Models Rumored to Feature Aluminum Frame Instead of Titanium Frame

Tuesday February 18, 2025 12:02 pm PST by
Over the years, Apple has switched from an aluminum frame to a stainless steel frame to a titanium frame for its highest-end iPhones. And now, it has been rumored that Apple will go back to using aluminum for three out of four iPhone 17 models. In an investor note with research firm GF Securities, obtained by MacRumors this week, Apple supply chain analyst Jeff Pu said the iPhone 17, iPhone...
apple launch feb 2025

Tim Cook Teases an 'Apple Launch' Next Wednesday

Thursday February 13, 2025 8:07 am PST by
In a social media post today, Apple CEO Tim Cook teased an upcoming "launch" of some kind scheduled for Wednesday, February 19. "Get ready to meet the newest member of the family," he said, with an #AppleLaunch hashtag. The post includes a short video with an animated Apple logo inside a circle. Cook did not provide an exact time for the launch, or share any other specific details, so...
iPhone 17 Roundup Feature 2

iPhone Design to Change 'Significantly' This Year

Monday February 17, 2025 7:09 am PST by
Apple is set to "significantly change" the iPhone's design language later this year, according to a Weibo leaker. In a new post, the user known "Digital Chat Station" said that the iPhone's design is "starting to change significantly" this year. The "iPhone 17 Air" reportedly features a "horizontal, bar-shaped" design on the rear, likely referring to an elongated camera bump. On the other...
Generic iOS 18

Here's When Apple Will Release iOS 18.4

Wednesday February 19, 2025 11:38 am PST by
Following the launch of the iPhone 16e, Apple updated its iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia pages to give a narrower timeline on when the next updates are set to launch. All three pages now state that new Apple Intelligence features and languages will launch in early April, an update from the more broader April timeframe that Apple provided before. The next major point updates will be iOS ...
iOS 18

iOS 18.4 Coming Next Week With These New Features for Your iPhone

Friday February 14, 2025 6:18 am PST by
The first iOS 18.4 beta for iPhones should be just around the corner, and the update is expected to include many new features and changes. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman expects the iOS 18.4 beta to be released by next week. Below, we outline what to expect from iOS 18.4 so far. Apple Intelligence for Siri Siri is expected to get several enhancements powered by Apple Intelligence on iOS...
Apple 2025 Thumb 1

Two of Apple's Oldest Products Are Finally Getting Updated This Year

Friday February 14, 2025 6:03 am PST by
Apple released the HomePod mini in November 2020, followed by the AirTag in May 2021, and both still remain first-generation products. Fortunately, rumors suggest that both the HomePod mini and the AirTag will finally be updated at some point this year. Below, we recap rumors about the HomePod mini 2 and AirTag 2. HomePod mini 2 In January 2025, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said Apple is ...
iPhone 17 Air Front Page Tech 2

'iPhone 17 Air' With Ultra-Thin Design Allegedly Revealed in New Video

Monday February 17, 2025 6:53 pm PST by
YouTube channel Front Page Tech today revealed the alleged design of Apple's widely-rumored "iPhone 17 Air" model, set to launch later this year. "iPhone 17 Air" render created by @zellzoi for Front Page Tech In a video uploaded today, Front Page Tech shared renders depicting what it believes is likely the final design of the "iPhone 17 Air." The device is expected to feature an ultra-thin...

Top Rated Comments

kaycrystal626 Avatar
10 weeks ago
Apple products are made around the globe except in the USA!
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
PinkLadyApples Avatar
10 weeks ago
I would prefer it all to be made in the USA. I'm pretty sure in the 1990s Apple Products were.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Jay Tee Avatar
10 weeks ago
Shifting AirPods production to India isn’t just about diversification—it’s about keeping margins stable in a turbulent world. If they can turn this move into long-term savings, their corporate bonds might be the safer way to ride their innovation train without the stock market’s ups and downs.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
fenderbass146 Avatar
10 weeks ago
Excellent, I'd love to bring them back to the west, but getting out of China is good news.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ChrisA Avatar
10 weeks ago

Apple products are made around the globe except in the USA!
Tim Cook once said that building iPhones in the US would be impossible because he would never be able to hire 200,000 factory workers.

Let's say Tim moved phone production to the US. Would you quit your current job to work in one of the new factories? I didn't think so.

China has four times the population of the US and India is even larger. The only way you can build a phone in the US is to fully automate the factory so it runs with very few employees.

Actually the Mac Pro is made in Texas. But bringing the Mac Pro assembly to the US, only created about 80 factory jobs and about as many office jobs. The factory is automated.

Americans say they want to buy made-in-USA products but when it comes time to actually buy something, we find they care more about price than where it is made. But you want low-priced American goods? That is only going to happen if either (1) American factory workers are paid maybe $6 per hour or (2) the factories are staffed by robots.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
bribri99 Avatar
10 weeks ago

I would prefer it all to be made in the USA. I'm pretty sure in the 1990s Apple Products were.
Would you pay 20-30% more for this to happen? So around $300-325?
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)