Apple Preparing to Make More AirPods in India

[MacRumors]

Foxconn's facility in Hyderabad, India is preparing to double monthly AirPods output and more than double its workforce as Apple accelerates accessory manufacturing in the country, the Economic Times reports.

Foxconn will apparently raise capacity at its Kongara Kalan plant from more than 100,000 units per month to 200,000 units per month by overhauling five existing assembly lines and installing additional equipment that is being transferred from facilities in Vietnam. The site began production of AirPods in April after machinery and tooling were relocated.

The workforce of around 2,000 employees is also likely to rise to 5,000 in the next six to eight months. The current assembly mix at the plant includes the AirPods 4 and AirPods Pro 3.

The step-up in Hyderabad follows a temporary constraint in July, when AirPods production was hampered by a shortage of dysprosium after China tightened export controls on rare earth metals. The expansion of AirPods production in India is part of a broader strategic production shift in Apple's supply chain as it diversifies its manufacturing across different countries.

Article Link: Apple Preparing to Make More AirPods in India

 

[Apple Knowledge Navigator]

I would love to know how many AirPods worldwide have been lost inside treadmills and stairmasters. There’s another production line right there.

 

[1037]

Check out videos of Fast Fashion India.
Those are the same people building things for Apple.
I don't want anything from there.

 

[Taq'aix]

I’m happy to see my AirPods were manufactured in Vietnam.

 

[BelgianChoklit]

Make the left bud in India and the right one in the other to spread risk. 😁

 

[MasterControlProgram]

China invading Taiwan must be getting close, Apple will want to get everything out of China before that happens to avoid sanctions hitting their production lines.

 

[Love-hate 🍏 relationship]

Is India worse or better than china ?

 

[BarrettF77]

Glad all my devices this year were china and Vietnam. All the Indian stuff is always made poorly or has imperfections.

Apple’s plan for India keeps backfiring and this focus on that country needs to stop.

 

[Student of Life]

Diversification is good as long as quality control standards remain the same.

 

[cardfan]

I don't really care where they make em..lol

 

[Happy_John]

I don't really care where they make em..lol

… as long as build quality is not effected.

 

[johkg]

Is India worse or better than china ?

Heres an anecdote, a good friend used work for Wistron (Apple manufacturer) She told me any product that fails to pass QC out of the production line or returns due to DOA, cosmetic, defects, Apple will charge back to the manufacturer. Her company almost went bankrupt manufacturing the casing for iP5. The infamous chamfer edges was so hard to make, the defect rate was like 50%.

Doesn't matter where they're made, Apple demands quality and doesn't pay for defects.

 

[1037]

Is India worse or better than china ?

Worse

 

[t0rqx]

Let them keep their own manufactured products.

 

[danny842003]

China invading Taiwan must be getting close, Apple will want to get everything out of China before that happens to avoid sanctions hitting their production lines.

If china invades Taiwan sanctions is going to be the least of their problems.

 

[Mr. Z]

If china invades Taiwan sanctions is going to be the least of their problems.

The correct answer is that they have no intention of invading Taiwan in the foreseeable future, or, more precisely, such fantasies exist only as a propaganda tool for the declining Empire, because there always has to be some kind of bogeyman to scare little children who sincerely believe in fairy tales…

 

[danny842003]

The correct answer is that they have no intention of invading Taiwan in the foreseeable future, or, more precisely, such fantasies exist only as a propaganda tool for the declining Empire, because there always has to be some kind of bogeyman to scare little children who sincerely believe in fairy tales…

Which is exactly what was said when Biden and Johnson were warning of an imminent full scale invasion of Ukraine.
Whilst I’m not convinced china will invade it’s hard to discount it when Xi is rattling the sabre about it himself.

 

[monster620ie]

disgusting that they are not bringing production back to USA instead!

 

[ChrisA]

Disgusting that they are not bringing production back to the USA instead!

Did you read the part where they will need to hire 5,000 more people? That would be absolutely impossible in the US. India has now passed China as the country with the most people. There are 1,400 million people in India and only 340 million in the US. And how many US citizens would quit their current job to work in an AirPods factory? Would you? I live in California and don't know one person who wants to work in an AirPods factory. If you go to the Deep South and build a factory in Alabama, you might find a few people who would want the job. But where would you find 5,000 of them?



So you then decide that the factory needs automation and the AirPods will be made with robots. So you try and hire robotics engineers and find that every one of them already has a job and does not want to move to Alabama.



The problem with the US in terms of manufacturing is that the US has only 5% of the world's population and also currently has very low unemployment. Actualy I am very happy there there are not thousands of people living here who are looking for no-skill low-pay jobs.

 

[svish]

Great to see production expanding in India. Also good for Apple to diversify manufacturing to various countries. Though the initial batches of iPhone 17 Pro’s were not made in India, think it is being made now. Expecting more products including iPad, MacBooks and even foldables to be made in the region.

 

[rbbloom99]

disgusting that they are not bringing production back to USA instead!

$16.50 minimum wage.

 

[Powerbooky]

Apple should consider Eastern Europe, like some of the car manufacturers have done.