Bharat FIH Restructures Board and Looks to Enhance Supply Chain of Apple

Amid declines in Xiaomi orders, Foxconn's India subsidiary Bharat FIH is allegedly considering changing its strategy. This step is taken to concentrate on Apple's supply chain service rather than competing in the electronics manufacturing services (EMS) market. Bharat FIH, which has been struggling since a number of its board members left last year, has reorganised its board. Now the firm has added two new independent directors: Payal Koul Mirakhur, cofounder and chief business officer of UExcelerate, and Arun Todarwal, a chartered accountant. Mirakhur joined the board of Bharat FIH in September 2024, according to her LinkedIn page. The board now consists of Abraham Joseph as managing director, Yu Yang Chih and Kam Wah Danny Tam as non-executive directors, and chairman Hui Chung Chen, according to the company's official website.

Moving Away from EMS Market

According to a media report, Bharat FIH is trying to change its course after encountering a snag because of a sharp decline in orders from its main customer, Xiaomi. According to a media report, the business is now providing equipment maintenance and servicing for Apple suppliers. Thus far, the EMS company has collaborated with Tata Electronics-owned Pegatron and Wistron, as well as Foxconn Hon Hai at its Bengaluru and Chennai facilities. According to a source, Bharat FIH has been working on this project for the past year or so and wants to become an independent service provider to these players. Bharat FIH has personnel on hand who are trained to examine the maintenance of these devices, which are positioned at the locations of Apple suppliers. Formerly known as Rising Stars Mobile India, Bharat FIH was founded in Andhra Pradesh in 2015.

The company is a well-known supplier of smartphones from major brands like Apple and Xiaomi and is among the biggest EMS companies in the nation. In addition to assembling iPhones for Apple, it also manufactures televisions, hearables, telecom network equipment, mobile phones, and parts for electric vehicles. Bharat FIH operates two additional facilities in Sungavarchatram and Sriperumbudur, close to Chennai, India, in addition to its Sri City plant in Andhra Pradesh. According to information on its website, it currently has 25,000 employees.

Foxconn Aims to Increase iPhone’s Production

Foxconn plans to expand its iPhone production to 25–30 million devices at its facilities in India during the current year. Over the past three to four months, the manufacturer has been experimenting with limited testing activities at its new Bengaluru facility. This testing is done to check if the company can build Apple's flagship product at scale without compromising quality standards. The iPhone manufacturer will receive an incentive of INR 6,970 Cr under the state's Electronics System Design and Manufacturing (ESDM) policy in early March, according to Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's state budget speech.