Apple Reaffirms Commitment to India as Key Manufacturing Hub Despite Trump’s Objections

Apple Reaffirms Commitment to India: Indian officials are downplaying some recent comments made by U.S. President Donald Trump about Apple's extensive manufacturing footprint in the country. According to courtesy of a report by CNBC-TV18 referring to sources inside the government, Apple recently reaffirmed its commitment to India as a center for production.

Also Read: Shashi Tharoor Responds to Congress’ ‘Lakshman Rekha’ Warning: ‘Spoke as an Indian’

“There is no change in Apple’s investment plans in India," the sources said, adding that the tech major has “assured the Indian government" of its continued engagement despite Trump’s remarks.

At an event in Doha, Qatar, Trump said that he had spoken directly to Apple CEO Tim Cook, and advised him not to expand, in terms of Apple's manufacturing footprint in India unless it was specifically for the Indian market.

“Told Apple CEO Tim Cook we’re not interested in you building in India, they can take care of themselves," Trump said, at a business event in Doha, Qatar, on May 15, according to a report from Bloomberg.

Trump also added that Apple would increase production in the United States. “Apple will be upping their production in the United States," he added.

Also Read: Jamia Millia Islamia Suspends MoUs with Turkish Institutions Citing National Security Concerns

He also said India had offered to drop tariffs on U.S. imports. “India has offered us a deal where basically they are willing to literally charge us no tariff," he said, speaking at a gathering of business leaders in Doha.

Despite the rhetoric, India's electronics industry remains upbeat. According to CNBC-TV18, Rajoo Goel, secretary general of Electronic industries Association of India (ELCINA), stressed the need for de-risking and building its capabilities.

“We need to go deeper into the value chain and do more of the components locally," Goel told CNBC-TV18, citing the government’s new electronic component manufacturing scheme as a positive step.

On Trump’s comments, he remarked, “It may slow things down a bit, but I really don’t think it is going to impact India that much. We are still doing a very small share of the global market for Apple."

Also Read: Pakistan Condemns Rajnath Singh’s Call for IAEA Oversight of Its Nuclear Arsenal