Apple to start assembling India-made AirPods by early 2025 – report

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) will start manufacturing its AirPods in India for the first time from early next year, Bloomberg News reported, advancing its push to diversify beyond China.

A unit of Foxconn Technology (OTCPK:FXCOF) — which is formally known as Hon Hai Precision (OTCPK:HNHAF) (OTCPK:HNHPF) — will begin assembling AirPods at a new factory in the Indian state of Telangana around the first quarter of 2025, the report added, citing people with knowledge of the matter.

The factory is already manufacturing AirPods on a trial basis, and production will increase quickly, the report added.

The earphones would become the second main Apple product to be assembled in India, after the iPhones.

In October it was reported that Apple exported about $6B worth of India-made iPhones in the six months through September. The numbers indicate the U.S. tech giant is advancing efforts to reduce its dependence on China amid rising geopolitical tensions. Foxconn is the top assembler for the product in India and accounts for half of the nation’s iPhone exports. Pegatron and local company Tata Electronics also assemble iPhones in the Asian country.

Apple is the world’s largest maker of true wireless stereo, or TWO, devices. In the second quarter, the company shipped 16.8 million units of the devices with a market share of 21.9%, according to data from research firm Canalys.

Last year, the Indian unit of Jabil, started shipping AirPods enclosures (plastic bodies) to China and Vietnam, where these earphones are currently assembled. Most of the AirPods which will be assembled in India next year are likely to be shipped to other markets, the report noted.

Apple and Foxconn have not yet responded to a request for comment from Seeking Alpha.