New Delhi, Feb 20: In a further push to the local manufacturing, the entire iPhone 16 lineup, including the newly-launched iPhone 16e, is now being assembled in India for domestic market as well as for exports, as industry experts on Thursday cleared the air around the new device being compared to now-retired iPhone SE.

The new Apple device, with A18 chip, breakthrough battery life, Apple Intelligence, and a 48MP 2-in-1 camera system, is being manufactured/assembled for local consumption as well as for export to select countries.

According to experts, iPhone 16e is not iPhone SE4 and the whole “comparison is futile”.

When iPhone SE was launched, it was another masterstroke at that time. However, times have changed since then.

“Essentially, Apple retired the SE lineup and extended the iPhone 16 lineup with a new entry point. iPhone SE was no longer adding any value to consumers, developers or Apple,” said Neil Shah, Partner and Co-Founder at Counterpoint Research.

The iPhone SE which was positioned as a “Special Edition,” which brought nostalgia of older and smaller design, was priced around $400.

However, the iPhone SE lost its value and popularity, which used to be once 16 per cent of the total iPhone sales volumes, dropped to 1 per cent last year.

According to Shah, consumers now prefer better cameras, bigger displays and faster processors.

“With all this background, what Apple did was to extend the 16 series with a newer ‘base version’ of iPhone 16 and now retired SE,” Shah explained.

According to industry experts, the company has done well with streamlining the series, reducing fragmentation in design and experience and able to charge $599 (US)/Rs 59,999 (India) with the newest entry point for the best Apple experiences.

New Delhi, Feb 20: India is set to transform into a high-income country with a projected GDP of $23–$35 trillion by 2047, driven by sustained annual growth of 8-10 per cent, according to a report on Thursday.

This will be powered by India’s demographic dividend, technological innovation, and sectoral transformation, according to the report by Bain & Company and Nasscom.

With nearly 200 million individuals expected to enter the workforce in the coming decades, India has a unique opportunity to drive high-value job creation and unlock significant economic potential.

Five key sectors, including electronics, energy, chemicals, automotive, and services, would act as strategic growth levers due to alignment with global trends and scalability, with the potential to address India’s unique challenges and advantages.

Rising income, a growing pool of skilled workers, and continuous improvements in infrastructure are some of the key factors that can fuel this growth, said the report.

“By investing in digital and transport infrastructure, enhancing domestic manufacturing, and driving collaborative R&D, we can position India as a leader in future technologies and global trade. A multi-pronged, tech-driven approach will be key to unlocking inclusive and sustainable growth,” said Sangeeta Gupta, Senior Vice President at Nasscom.

Advances in AI-driven chip design, touchless manufacturing, and backward integration into component manufacturing and design could enhance cost competitiveness and innovation, driving the sector’s export share from 24 per cent to 45 per cent-50 per cent by 2047 and its GDP contribution from 3 per cent to 8 per cent-10 per cent.

India’s share of renewables in overall energy generation has the potential to rise from 24 per cent in 2023 to 70 per cent in 2047 backed by modernising energy infrastructure, and scaled investments in green energy. India is also likely to transition from a net energy importer to a net exporter.

“AI-powered molecular design and digital twin technologies, along with other tech-driven improvements can lead to a potential increase India’s share in global value chain from around 3 per cent to over 10 per cent in 2047,” said the report.

Auto-components exports sector are likely to reach $200–$250 billion (by 2047), driven by near-term share capture in ICE market and longer-term shift to EVs.

“Electronics is one of the key sectors instrumental in this journey and is poised to emerge as a global manufacturing hub expected to $3.5 trillion by 2047, contributing more than 20 per cent to global production,” said Lokesh Payik, Partner at Bain & Company.

Mumbai: Tesla, Elon Musk’s EV maker is looking to expand its horizons in India. After a stop in progress in early 2024, when Musk laid focus on China, as he looked away from India.

A year down the line, and a lot appears to have changed. After PM Modi’s US visit, wherein he also met the SpaceX and X boss, Musk’s company doled out a set of job posts on LinkedIn, signalling its arrival in India.

As many as 13 new positions for different roles in Tesla’s Mumbai office were put up on February 18. Tesla is said to have increased its number of supply chain employees in India.

Billions In Investment

It is now being learned that company officials from the largest EV maker may visit India in April.

In addition, it is also being reported that the company may invest USD 3-5 billion in the initial phase of the plan.

The company has long struggled to deal with duties levied on its cars, making them more expensive than they already are. This is the case, as Tesla cars are not manufactured, or even assembled, in India yet.

Sale Of Cars To Start In April

All the cars in India, as imported from its manufacturing destinations elsewhere. Furthermore, Tesla is not expected to start assembling its cars in India anytime soon, as it would focus on selling imported EVs, manufactured in Germany.

Tesla is set to import EVs from its Berlin plant, with the first EV launching at around Rs 21 lakh. This sale is expected to start in April.

When it comes to manufacturing, the car company is said to be exploring avenues in Maharashtra and Gujarat.

In addition, the company is also reportedly looking to open its swanky new showrooms in Mumbai’s Bandra-Kurla Complex and Delhi’s Aerocity.

This also comes at time, when the Indian government is planning to slash tariffs on American goods, fearing reciprocal tariffs on Indian goods, as recently announced by the Trump Administration.