New Delhi, Apr 19 (KNN) Micron Technology is set to supply semiconductor chips made at its upcoming assembly plant in Sanand, Gujarat to Apple, potentially for use in iPhones manufactured in India.

The U.S. memory chipmaker's new facility in Sanand is on track to begin production by December 2024.

The Sanand plant, representing an investment of USD 875 million by Micron, will focus on assembling and testing various types of chips including ball grid array (BGA) packages, memory modules, and solid-state drives.

Once operational, a portion of the output could be supplied directly to Apple's iPhone manufacturing operations in India.

Currently, Apple sources the semiconductor chips used in its Indian iPhone production from other markets.

But Micron's localised supply could allow Apple to use India-made chips in iPhones assembled in the country, streamlining the supply chain for both domestic sales and exports.

"Micron's new facility in Gujarat puts them in a strong position to be a supplier for our nation's growing electronics manufacturing industry, including for Apple's iPhone production here," said an industry analyst. "This has the potential to boost India's semiconductor ecosystem."

The Sanand plant is part of Micron's broader USD 2.75 billion investment plan for chip assembly and testing in India, supported by incentives from the central and Gujarat state governments.

The project is expected to create over 5,000 direct jobs and 15,000 community jobs within five years.

Apple has been progressively ramping up iPhone manufacturing in India through partners like Foxconn, Wistron and Pegatron.

Adding a domestic chip supplier could further incentivise Apple to increase its Indian production capabilities.

(KNN Bureau)