Taiwanese electronics manufacturer Hon Hai Precision Industry (Foxconn) hired nearly 30,000 workers at its new iPhone assembly facility near Bengaluru over the last nine months, marking one of the fastest factory ramp-ups ever seen in India, according to a report by The Economic Times.
The move underscores Apple’s strategy to diversify its manufacturing footprint beyond China, with India emerging as a key hub.
Located in Devanahalli on a 300-acre campus, the facility began test production in April/May this year with iPhone 16 models and is now assembling the latest iPhone 17 Pro Max devices, the report said. More than 80% of the output is being exported, reinforcing India’s growing role in Apple’s global manufacturing network.
The plant’s workforce is notable for its demographic profile, with around 80% women, most of them first-time workers aged between 19 and 24. Foxconn has constructed six large dormitories to house employees, several of which are already operational, with more under development. At peak capacity next year, the facility is expected to employ up to 50,000 people.
With further expansion planned, the Devanahalli campus is projected to house more women workers at a single location than any other government or private establishment in the country. Employees have migrated from neighbouring states, and the site is expected to evolve into a mini township with residential, medical, educational, and recreational infrastructure.
Workers receive free accommodation, subsidised meals, and earn an average monthly salary of about ₹18,000—among the highest for women in blue-collar manufacturing roles.
Foxconn is investing close to ₹20,000 crore in the project, which is set to become India’s largest factory by employment and production capacity once fully operational. The plant is expected to eventually host up to a dozen iPhone assembly lines, compared with around four currently, and will surpass Foxconn’s existing iPhone facility in Tamil Nadu.
The expansion has been supported by India’s production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme for large-scale electronics manufacturing, launched in 2021, as Apple steadily shifts a larger share of iPhone manufacturing to India amid geopolitical uncertainties. All iPhone 17 models are now assembled in India and exported globally.
Apple’s India operations are backed by a supply chain of nearly 45 companies across component manufacturing, sub-assembly, and logistics. New recruits at the Devanahalli plant undergo six weeks of on-the-job training before joining production, as Apple and its partners work to build skills and deepen the local manufacturing ecosystem.While India is positioning itself as an all-rounder in manufacturing with campaigns like ‘Made In India’, it’s also projecting itself as an alternative to China. Bengaluru itself, also known as the Silicon Valley of India, has been using this to its advantage.
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