Apple reportedly to begin iPhone production in India by end of April 2017

After months of discussion with India, Apple is now set to assemble iPhones in the country starting by the end of April.

That’s according to Priyank Kharge, information technology minister for the Indian state of Karnataka, who discussed the plans in a Bloomberg interview late Thursday. The move into the world’s fastest-growing major smartphone market comes at a time when iPhone sales have slowed in key markets such as China.

Apple executives met with Kharge in January to cement the timeline, though Apple CEO Tim Cook first met with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi last May.

“Apple’s iPhones will be made in Bangalore [in Karnataka] and all devices will be targeted at the domestic market,” Kharge told Bloomberg. “We did not discuss any other incentives.”

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The tech company has reportedly given India a “wish list,” including demands for tax incentives. Apple has also previously called for a permanent relaxation of laws requiring foreign retailers to source 30 percent of their materials locally.

Shares of Apple remained largely flat in pre-market trading Friday.

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