Apple Is Ready to Start Making iPhones in India

Apple is willing to start making iPhones in India, but it wants a big helping hand from Narendra Modi’s government first, according to Bloomberg. The company is scheduled to meet with officials in New Delhi this week to discuss the prospects for setting up manufacturing facilities in the country this year.

Apple, the most valuable company on Earth, is asking for a long list of financial concessions from India, one of the poorest countries. Among the requests, the company is seeking a 15-year tax holiday on imports of components and equipment, according to a person with direct knowledge of the matter. "We would like Apple to set up base in India," Ravi Shankar Prasad, minister for information technology said, without disclosing the company’s negotiating stance.

Apple wants to boost business in India as the country of 1.3 billion becomes the fastest-growing smartphone market and sales flatten in the U.S. and China. CEO Tim Cook visited the country for the first time in May as he sought government approval for Apple to open its own stores. India has insisted that Apple, like any single-brand retailer, source 30 percent of its components locally, though the country is relaxing those rules so technology companies can operate stores for three years before meeting that requirement.

Still, Apple wants more. The company has sent a list of requests ahead of its Jan. 25 meeting with officials from several government departments, including Electronics and Commerce, the person said, asking not to be named because the matter is private. Apple is also asking for a waiver on customs duties for new and used equipment brought into India. The Indian Express newspaper reported Apple wants full exemption from duties on raw materials, components and capital equipment. Apple won’t insist on getting everything on its wish list, the person said.

India isn’t the only country pressing Apple for local manufacturing. U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has said he wants to see iPhones made in Apple’s home market, part of a broader push to get companies to keep or create manufacturing jobs. Hon Hai has said that it is in preliminary discussions to broaden its investment in the U.S.