Foxconn hires 30,000 workers at women-led iPhone plant near Bengaluru: Report

Foxconn is investing about Rs 20,000 crore in the Bengaluru venture, which is set to become India's largest factory by both employment and production capacity once fully operational

Taiwanese electronics major Hon Hai Precision Industry Co, better known as Foxconn, has recruited close to 30,000 employees at its new iPhone assembly facility in Devanahalli near Bengaluru within just eight to nine months, marking the fastest factory scale-up seen in India so far, The Economic Times reported citing people familiar with the matter.

The rapid hiring underlines Apple's push to diversify its manufacturing base beyond China, the report said.

The 300-acre facility is largely operated by women, who make up around 80% of the workforce. Most of these employees are in the 19-24 age bracket and are entering the workforce for the first time, people told The Economic Times.

The plant began trial production in April-May this year, assembling iPhone 16 models, and has since moved on to manufacturing the latest iPhone 17 Pro Max, sources said. Over 80% of the output is being shipped overseas, The Economic Times reported.

At peak capacity next year, the unit can employ up to 50,000 people, according to another person cited by The Economic Times. The campus includes six large dormitories, several of which are already operational for women employees, while construction of the remaining facilities is progressing at full pace.

With further expansion planned, the site is expected to house more women workers in a single location than any other public or private organisation in the country, people tracking the project told The Economic Times. A significant number of women migrants from neighbouring states have also secured jobs at the factory.

The project is envisioned as a self-contained township with housing, healthcare, schooling and entertainment facilities within the premises, The Economic Times reported. Workers receive free accommodation and subsidised meals, and earn an average monthly salary of around Rs 18,000, among the highest pay levels for women in blue-collar roles, according to estimates cited by the newspaper.

Foxconn is investing about Rs 20,000 crore in the Bengaluru venture, which is set to become India's largest factory by both employment and production capacity once fully operational, The Economic Times said. The production floor alone spans nearly 250,000 square feet.

The new unit is expected to surpass Foxconn's first iPhone manufacturing facility in Tamil Nadu, which currently employs about 41,000 workers, the report added. Government officials quoted by The Economic Times described the project as a major success of the Centre's push to raise manufacturing's share in GDP.

When fully built out, the Bengaluru factory is likely to house up to a dozen iPhone assembly lines, compared with around four at present, people tracking the development told The Economic Times. Apple and Foxconn did not respond to queries sent by the newspaper.

Apple has been steadily shifting iPhone production to India, supported by the production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme launched in 2021. A government official told The Economic Times that Apple's India operations showcase a strong government-industry partnership, noting that such speed and scale of expansion would have been unthinkable just a few years ago.

India has become a critical link in Apple's global supply chain amid geopolitical shifts, with all iPhone models now being manufactured in the country from the start and exported worldwide, The Economic Times reported. Apple's supplier ecosystem in India has expanded to nearly 45 companies, covering local component makers and sub-assembly firms.

Apple also works closely with partners on workforce development, deploying its own training modules. Newly hired women employees, mostly high school or polytechnic graduates, undergo about six weeks of on-the-job training before joining iPhone production lines, The Economic Times said.