More AirPods will be produced in India in the future, as Apple supply chain partner Foxconn plans to increase the size of its personal audio manufacturing capacity in the country.
Apple's manufacturing efforts in India has largely focused on the iPhone, but other products are also being made there. If one report is to be believed, AirPods production will be doubling from one operation in Hyderabad within months.
According to sources of Economic Times, Foxconn Interconnect Technology will be expanding its facilities in Hyderabad. The plant in Kongara Kalan started mass production of AirPods in April, but FIT plans to scale up manufacturing at the facility.
The current capacity for FIT Hyderabad is estimated to be more than 100,000 pairs of AirPods per month. Under the proposals, the facility will make 200,000 units a month, close to double the current output.
The timeline for the expansion is six to eight months, putting the doubling of capacity in early 2026. Manufacturing machinery is already on the way from Foxconn's Vietnam facilities to India, with five existing production lines at the factory being refitted to produce AirPods models.
This will also mean an increase in the workforce at the facility. One source said that the factory's current head count of 2,000 personnel will scale up to about 5,000.
Continued diversification
Apple's move to expand the factory is part of its ongoing efforts to diversify its supply chain away from a China-centric approach. It's a plan that aims to insulate the supply chain from various global issues, such as tariff-based trade wars and pandemics.
An example affecting AirPods production in India occurred in April, as China had temporarily halted the export of rare earth minerals. A shortage of dysprosium created a bottleneck affecting AirPods production at FIT's Telangana facility, until export curbs were relaxed in August.
Foxconn had made a commitment to build a $550-million facility in Kongara Kalan in 2023, creating 24,000 jobs in the facility. The intention was to establish an audio manufacturing hub, as well as to expand Apple's production capacity covering the U.S. and Europe.
While the main focus is on AirPods and accessories, it is also being used to create components and cables for other companies.
It's not the only planned expansion of AirPods capacity in India, either. In May, AirPods case producer Jabil indicated it wanted to expand capacity using a new facility in Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu.
