Apple Inc has begun manufacturing its marquee new iPhone 14 in India as the global tech giant taps into production prowess outside of China.

The US firm started manufacturing of iPhone 14 in the world’s second-biggest smartphone market within weeks of the September 7 unveiling of the device.

“We are excited to be manufacturing iPhone 14 in India,” Apple said in a statement.

“The new iPhone 14 lineup introduces groundbreaking new technologies and important safety capabilities,” the company said.

Cupertino, California-headquartered Apple started manufacturing iPhones in India in 2017 with iPhone SE, PTI reported from New Delhi.

Apple manufactures some of its most advanced iPhones in the country including the iPhone SE, iPhone 12, iPhone 13, and, now iPhone 14.

Sources said the Made-in-India iPhone 14 will begin to reach local customers in the next few days. Phones manufactured in India will be both for the Indian market and exports.

The iPhone 14 will be shipped from Foxconn’s Sriperumbudur facility on the outskirts of Chennai. Foxconn is the world’s largest contract electronics manufacturer and major iPhone assembler.

Apple, which long made most of its iPhones in China, could make one out of four iPhones in India by 2025, JP Morgan analysts said in a note last week.

iPhone devices in the past were assembled in India about six to nine months after production started in Chinese factories. This time the duration has been cut short to just a couple of weeks.

The iPhone 14 was launched on September 7, 2022, and is available to customers in India simultaneously with the US, among other markets, since September 16, 2022.

The iconic brand has a long-standing history in India that started more than 20 years ago. Apple launched its online store in the country in September 2020 and is set to deepen its commitment with the upcoming launch of the Apple retail store.

The recent manufacturing expansion builds on several Apple initiatives in the country, including App Design and Development Accelerator in Bengaluru and programs with local organizations to support renewable energy training and development for communities.

India’s vibrant market is turning out to be the sweet spot for the US tech giant, as the company reported a “near doubling” of revenue in the country in the quarter that ended June 2022.

Apple CEO Tim Cook, during earnings, call in July, said, “We set June quarter records in the Americas, in Europe, and the rest of the Asia Pacific region. We also saw June quarter revenue records in both developed and emerging markets, with very strong double-digit growth in Brazil, Indonesia, and Vietnam and a near doubling of revenue in India.”