Tech biggie Apple seems to have big plans for India in the year 2017. According to reports, Apple supplier Wistron Corp, a Taiwanese contract manufacturer, is seeking to expand its factory in the city of Bengaluru and has applied for a fast-tracked approval for the same.

Wistron has been recently added as Apple’s third manufacturer for Apple's 2017 incoming iPhone 8. Prior to this, the company had gained experience and credibility as an Apple supplier on secondary iPhone handsets such as the iPhone 5s and, the iPhone SE as well.

It is interesting to note that the news comes just a few weeks after its was reported that Apple is currently in the midst of talks with the Indian government regarding the possibility of assembling its products in India, one of the world’s biggest smartphone markets, where the United States tech firm makes up for less than 2 percent.

While it is still a little too early to say whether or not Apple will consider moving majority of its manufacturing from China to India, but the Wistron news does add another piece of credible evidence suggesting that this could soon be the case. Prior to the Wistron news, there were reports about both Pegatron and Foxconn — both of which are big suppliers of iPhone orders — are considering expanding to the Indian subcontinent.

If Apple ends up setting up its production in India, it would be a big win for the current Indian government which has been campaigning to attract global manufacturers to India under its famous “Make in India” slogan since taking over the power reigns in 2014. Apple's foreign investment in India will help create jobs and boost the country's economy.

While India stands to gain in terms of foreign investment and jobs, a manufacturing unit in India would also be a positive for Apple as it could help in mitigating the accelerating wage inflation in China where the majority of Apple’s devices are currently being made.

According to industry analysts, local manufacturing could be a small but crucial part of wider strategy of Apple to expand in India and even lower the prices of its products in the country after Apple's Chief Executive Tim Cook visited India in May last year and met Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Apple's interest in India is a known thing in the tech world. The tech giant has recently announced about its plans to invest a whopping $25 million in a new office complex in India. In addition to this, it also has plans of opening a new office in Hyderabad, which is considered as an India's tech hub, that will be especially focusing on improving Apple Maps.
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