Apple will be building iPhones in India within weeks

Apple is about to begin building iPhones in India for the first time, according to a report.

Looking to gain a foothold on the sub-continent’s fast-growing market, Apple and its Taiwanese contract manufactuer Wistron will likely start manufacturing iPhone 6 and 6S models in India within the next four to six weeks, the Wall Street Journal reported Thursday, citing local government officials.

“Almost all preparations have been done for launching Apple’s first phase project in Bangalore through Wistron,” the official told the paper.

“We’ve been working hard to develop our operations in India,” an Apple spokeswoman added, declining to comment specifically on the plans. “We appreciate the constructive and open dialogue we’ve had with government about further expanding our local operations.”

With iPhone sales slowing in China, Apple has been looking to crack India’s market. A key problem has been that its iPhones are too expensive for most customers in India.

Apple could cut iPhone prices in India by at least $100 by side-stepping local import tariffs with a local factory, an analyst estimates.

Apple is also in talks with the Indian government to bring its component makers to India, the Journal reported, citing state officials.