NEW DELHI - India's information technology minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said on Monday Apple Inc would expand its operations in the country and the iPhone maker's supplier Salcomp would make components at a plant near Chennai in southern India.

Salcomp will invest 20 billion rupees ($278.67 million) over the next five years to make chargers and other components at the plant and the move will also create 10,000 jobs, Prasad said.

Apple's phones made in India will also be exported, he said, adding that exports of mobile phones and components from the country would be worth $1.6 billion each this year.

($1 = 71.7700 Indian rupees)

(Reporting by Sankalp Phartiyal in New Delhi; Writing by Derek Francis; Editing by Rashmi Aich) ((derek.francis@thomsonreuters.com; +91-9986311363; Tweet to @derekfrancis089 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/derek-francis/;))