Apple in talks with Murugappa Group and Tata's Titan to make camera modules for iPhone in India: Report
Bengaluru: Apple is in talks with the Murugappa Group and Tata Group's Titan Company for manufacturing sub-components for iPhone camera modules, media reports said.
The Economic Times (ET) reported citing a source that Apple presently lacks Indian suppliers for its camera modules, despite assembling various iPhone models in India.
"Partnering either with Titan or the Murugappa Group could address this issue," said the source cited above.
Apple is likely to reach a decision on a partnership with Titan or Murugappa Group within five to six months, a source told ET.
Production of the camera module in India is as one of the major hurdles for Apple in India at present, said the report.
The Murugappa Group has a wide range of interests, including engineering, and financial services, while Titan is known for its expertise in precision manufacturing, particularly for watches and jewellery components.
According to a report by ET on April 11, Apple seeks to relocate at least fifty percent of its supply chain to India, with plans to increase local value addition from suppliers by nearly fifty percent within the upcoming three years.
A source told the ET, "Starting with module assembly is a good foundation to attract different sub-assembly manufacturers and build the complete local value chain — from the image sensor to lenses and the entire camera module."
As per the ET report, image sensor chips found within a camera module are both the priciest component of a smartphone and its display.
"For image sensors, Apple depends largely on Sony in Japan, Samsung in Korea and Omnivision in China. These image sensors are specialised semiconductors, and it is very costly for new players to enter this market," Martin Yang of Oppenheimer & Co, an investment banking company, told the ET.
In January, ET reported that Apple was planning production of nearly Rs 1 trillion worth of iPhones in India by March end (Q4FY24) or the first quarter of FY25 (April-June 2024), having raised capacity at its manufacturing partners. Around 70 percent of iPhones made in India are sent to overseas markets, which is only set to grow.
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