With the deal between the Tatas and Wistron awaiting regulatory clearance — a formality at this stage — the salt-to-software conglomerate is set to become the first domestic company to assemble Apple iPhones, marking a significant moment in the beginning of the rise of India’s contract manufacturing. There are a few key factors that have given an impetus to contract manufacturing in India, propelling a number of other domestic companies aside from the Tatas to kickstart domestic production. These include the government’s production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme for smartphone production, a worsening relationship between the US and China which has forced…