SEOUL Apple Inc is in talks with suppliers to make MacBooks in Thailand as part of the company's ongoing efforts to expand its manufacturing presence beyond China, Nikkei reported on Thursday (April 13).

Suppliers who are participating in these talks have existing manufacturing complexes in Thailand for other clients, and are discussing possible assembly and production of components and modules for MacBooks, sources from three suppliers involved in talks with Apple told Nikkei.

Apple has also been mass-producing its Apple Watch in Thailand for more than a year, the report added.

Apple did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. Reuters could not immediately determine the three suppliers the report cited.

Apple and its key suppliers have been shifting production away from China, where strict Covid-19 curbs disrupted Foxconn's biggest iPhone factory last year.

Apple is also seeking to avoid a hit to its business due to tensions between Beijing and Washington.

Separately, Bloomberg News reported on Thursday that Apple has tripled its production of iPhones in India, assembling over US$7 billion worth of smartphones in the country in the last fiscal year.

The tech giant now manufactures almost 7% of its iPhones in India, up from 1% in 2021, the report said.

Apple did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment on India production.

In March, Foxconn announced its plans to increase investments outside of China. Meanwhile, Pegatron Corp is in talks to establish a second factory in India as part of its efforts to diversify production away from China, Reuters reported.

  - Reuters