BY GULVEEN AULAKH
NEW DELHI: Foxconn, the world’s largest contract manufacturer, is aiming to begin exports to the Middle East and African countries by December from India as it begins talking to suppliers to set up base in the fastest growing smartphone market in the world.
The Taiwanese phone and electronics maker is stepping up expansion of its manufacturing facility in Sri City, Andhra Pradesh, while scouting for more locations including Tirupati in the same state, besides states of Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and Delhi NCR. If the plan fructifies, Foxconn would be much ahead of Samsung’s target of exporting from India by 2020.
“Foxconn will begin exporting by December, could be earlier. They will have reasonable capacity to export. To begin with, exports will be to Middle East and Africa,” said a person aware of the company’s strategy in India. “Over the next year or so, Foxconn is aiming for its suppliers to set up base here so they can feed into the local production chain which it will create for exports”.
Part of the volumes may well come from Mukesh Ambani-owned Reliance Jio. Foxconn is talks with Reliance Jio to make the much-awaited 4G Volte feature phone in India. People aware of Jio’s plans say the first lot of nearly 18-20 million is likely to be brought in from original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) in China.