India, May 16 -- As former US President Donald Trump lashes out at Apple for shifting iPhone manufacturing to India, Apple's key supplier Foxconn has quietly secured Indian government approval to set up a major semiconductor assembly and test facility in the country. The move signals a deepening of Foxconn's commitment to India and is expected to play a pivotal role in bolstering the nation's ambitions to become a global chipmaking hub.

According to a report by CNBC, the Indian government has granted approval for a joint venture between Foxconn and India's HCL Group to build the plant in Uttar Pradesh, a northern state that is quickly becoming a semiconductor development zone. The approval includes a government investment of $433 million...