AirPods to be made in India for the first time, in Apple's latest diversification move

Some AirPods and Beats headphones are to be made in India for the first time, as Apple continues a gradual reduction of its dependence on China for product manufacturing. AirPods production is predominantly split between Foxconn and Luxshare, and a report today says that Apple has instructed both companies to move some of their assembly work to India. It's a challenge for the very reason Apple chose China as its manufacturing base in the first place. Apple is asking suppliers to move some AirPods and Beats headphone production to India for the first time, in a win for the South Asia nation as it attempts to rise in the global supply chain. The move is part of Apple's gradual diversification from China, as it looks to lower the risk of supply chain disruptions stemming from the country's strict zero-COVID policy and tensions with the U.S. The report says that Apple has asked them to be ready for Indian production as early as next year. Apple had already moved a significant proportion of AirPods and Beats production from China to Vietnam, and today's report says that the latter country now accounts for the majority of Beats manufacturing. India has become a second major manufacturing hub for Apple, and is expected to be responsible for a full quarter of iPhone production by 2025.