Apple making iPhone XR in India, expanding operations: Ravi Shankar Prasad

India's overall mobile as well as components exports are expected to cross $1.6 billion each in 2019-20,

Tech titan Apple has started production of iPhone XR in India for domestic market and exports, underlying the government's efforts to bolster mobile manufacturing in the country, IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said on Monday.

The minister also said that Salcomp, the world's largest manufacturer and a major supplier of chargers to Apple for iPhone, has reached agreement to take over closed facility of Nokia in a SEZ near Chennai.

Salcomp will revive the unit, which was closed for nearly 10 years, and the facility will become operational from March 2020. The unit will produce charger and other equipment, and will boast of a diversified portfolio. This will entail an investment of Rs 2,000 crore in five years.

"The big SEZ of Nokia which was closed for 10 years will get into life again. As many as 10,000 people will get jobs directly and 50,000 jobs will be generated indirectly," Prasad said.

India's overall mobile as well as components exports are expected to cross USD 1.6 billion each in 2019-20, he said.