Apple wants component suppliers to source iPhone 16 batteries from India

In a move that would strengthen Apple’s commitment to India and widen its efforts to diversify its global supply chain by moving manufacturing out of China, the company has reportedly told component suppliers to source batteries for iPhone 16 models from India.

Citing two people close to Apple, a report by The Financial Times claims that the world’s most valuable company has informed about its preference to source made-in-India batteries for the forthcoming iPhone 16. It adds that Chinese battery manufacturers have been encouraged to either establish new factories, or scale operations in the country.

Desay of China, have been encouraged to establish new factories in India, while Simplo Technology, a Taiwanese battery supplier for Apple, has been asked to scale up production in India for future orders, the report cites three people familiar with the situation.

“If all goes well with iPhone 16 battery supply, Apple plans to move more iPhone battery production to India,” one of the people close to the company was quoted as saying.

Japan's TDK to manufacture iPhone battery cells in India
Recently, IT minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar announced in a post on X that Japanese electronic parts maker TDK Corp will manufacture lithium-ion (li-ion) battery cells for Apple iPhones in India. According to a report, the cells will be supplied to Sunwoda Electronics, and the contract with Apple could generate 8,000-10,000 jobs in India.

Desay and Simplo package the electric cells produced by TDK and their counterparts into modules and send them to assemblers such as Foxconn, the Taiwanese company that is planning to invest $1.5 billion in India in an expansion plan.

Apple is trying to reduce its manufacturing and supply chain dependence on China, amid growing trade tensions between Washington and Beijing. Apart from shifting some manufacturing in India, the iPhone maker has steadily sought to increase production in Vietnam.