Foxconn chief meets Karnataka CM; Industries minister says Apple supplier has extensive investment plans for state

CM Siddaramaiah hosted a dinner for Young Liu and senior Foxconn officials, assuring them that all necessary cooperation and assistance would be provided to the firm for its operations in the state.

Young Liu, Chairman of the Taiwan-based Hon Hai Technology Group (Foxconn), met Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on August 16.

Taiwanese electronics major Foxconn,a major supplier to Apple, has been expanding its presence in India as tech companies seek to diversify production away from China.

Siddaramaiah hosted a dinner for Liu and senior Foxconn officials, assuring Liu that all necessary cooperation and assistance would be provided to Foxconn for its operations in the state.

Siddaramaiah said Karnataka has a robust law and order system, which is crucial for industries, and is a state known for its rich cultural heritage.

Also, read: Foxconn chairman to visit Karnataka on August 16; Meeting with CM planned

Liu arrived at HAL Airport in Bengaluru on Friday evening, where he was welcomed by Karnataka Ministers MB Patil and Priyank Kharge. Patil, who holds the Large and Medium Industries portfolio, said, "Foxconn has extensive investment plans for Karnataka, and this visit is part of detailed discussions related to those plans."

Foxconn is setting up an iPhone assembly plant (Project Elephant) in Karnataka. The company has acquired 300 acres of land in the ITIR Industrial Area, located in Doddaballapur and Devanahalli taluks of Bengaluru Rural district.

The project, with an investment size of Rs 22,000 crore, is expected to generate employment for more than 50,000 people. "Currently, the work is progressing well in this project with construction in progress. The Commerce and Industries department in collaboration with other departments, is actively working on securing all necessary license approvals for the project. Additionally, power and water supply specific to the project are being planned and implemented" a statement from Chief Minister's office said.

Additionally, Foxconn is setting up a manufacturing and assembly facility for mechanical components in EV applications (Project Cheetah). The company has leased private land in Bengaluru district for this project.

"Karnataka is a key player in the ESDM sector, contributing significantly to India's electronics manufacturing and exports," said Siddaramaiah.

"To support competitive electronics manufacturing, Karnataka provides efficient logistics, reliable power, a skilled workforce, and a strong vendor base. We are committed to assisting Foxconn with all necessary support," he added.

Liu's India visit

Liu also met Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, and Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy during his visit. He will attend the inauguration of an industrial housing facility in Tamil Nadu on August 17, where Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin will unveil the Vallam Vadagal Industrial Housing Project. This facility, designed for Foxconn and other industrial workers, is modeled after similar projects in China and Vietnam, according to Tamil Nadu government sources.

Earlier, on August 14, Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with Liu in Delhi. Modi shared on X, "I highlighted the wonderful opportunities India offers in futuristic sectors. We also had excellent discussions on their investment plans in India, in states like Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Andhra Pradesh."

Rahul Gandhi, in a post on X on August 16, wrote, "It was a pleasure to meet Mr. Young Liu, Chairman of Foxconn, earlier today. We had an engaging conversation on the future of technological innovation in India and the world. With the right support, India’s tech industry can be positioned for a significant leap forward."

Telangana CM Revanth Reddy also expressed his enthusiasm after meeting Liu. He said, "Delighted to have met Chairman of Foxconn, Young Liu, in New Delhi & had fruitful discussions. As part of a strategy to develop Telangana into a manufacturing hub with global recognition, we invited Foxconn, one of the world’s largest contract manufacturers in the electronics sector, to set up a new facility in the Future City being developed in Hyderabad. The two delegations will continue to interact regularly to ensure our ambitious plans fructify rapidly. Chairman Young Liu would visit Hyderabad soon, and there will be some very exciting news to share with all of us soon."

Also, read: Tamil Nadu to unveil industrial housing facility for workers, similar to China; Foxconn chief to attend inauguration on Aug 17

In May 2023, Hon Hai Precision Industry (Foxconn) acquired land near Kempegowda International Airport in Devanahalli, Bengaluru, for Rs 300 crore ($37 million). The manufacturing facility is being established within the Information Technology Investment Region (ITIR) industrial area in Doddaballapur, Devanahalli Taluk.

Foxconn is investing Rs 8,500 crore in the manufacturing unit, expected to generate over one lakh jobs in Karnataka over the next 10 years. Production at the plant is scheduled to commence by April 2024, with investments spread over three phases. Although it missed the initial deadline, Foxconn had planned to invest Rs 3,000 crore in Phase 1 (2023-2024), followed by Rs 4,000 crore in Phase 2 (2025-2026), and Rs 1,000 crore in Phase 3 (2026-2027). The company aims to produce one lakh iPhones by December 2025, 50 lakh by December 2026, one crore by December 2027, and two crore by December 2028.

On March 20, the Karnataka government signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Foxconn, committing Rs 8,000 crore for a mobile manufacturing unit, which is expected to provide employment opportunities for 50,000 people in the state.

Separately, Foxconn Industrial Internet (Fii) has expressed interest in investing Rs 8,800 crore in Karnataka, which is expected to create 14,000 job opportunities. Fii, a subsidiary of iPhone maker Foxconn, held a meeting with Siddaramaiah and MB Patil on July 17 to discuss their proposal for establishing a supplementary plant alongside their proposed unit in the Devanahalli ITIR region.