Cupertino, California-based Apple, is keen to boost its market share in one of the world's fastest growing mobile phone markets as sales lag in Asian powerhouse China.

"We are beginning initial production of a small number of iPhone SE in Bengaluru," Apple said in the statement, adding the phone would be available locally for sale this month.

In February, Reuters reported that Apple's Taiwanese manufacturing partner Wistron Corp will assemble the iPhone SE in India by April-end or beginning of May.

(Reporting by Sankalp Phartiyal; Editing by Biju Dwarakanath)

Stocks treated in this article : Apple Inc., Wistron Corporation