Apple to expand its contract manufacturer’s facility in Bengaluru, India

Apple is looking to expand its contract manufacturer’s facility in the southern Indian tech hub of Bengaluru, according to Reuters. The tech giant officially began initial production of a small number of iPhone SEs last week at its Wistron plant and plans to ship the devices to local customers as soon as this month.

India has offered to allow Apple) to import mobile handset components intended for use in local manufacturing tax free, a unnamed “top government official” told Reuters. The tax concessions will be subject to the condition of increasing local value addition over a period of time.

Last July, it was announced that Apple had agreed to lease more than 40,000 square feet of office space in Bengaluru, where the company plans to set up a development center. And in May 2016, the company announced a new initiative to support engineering talent and accelerate growth in India’s iOS developer community. The company said it would establish an iOS App Design and Development Accelerator in the city.