30000 workers hired at women-led iPhone plant in India, headcount may increase to 50k: Report

Taiwan-based Hon Hai Precision Industry Co -- known as Foxconn -- has hired 30,000 workers for its new iPhone assembly plant in Devanahalli near Bengaluru in just eight to nine months, according to report. The rapid hiring underscores Apple’s accelerating shift of manufacturing to India as it looks to diversify its supply chain beyond China, according to The Economic Times.

Women form backbone of the workforce

A striking feature of the new Foxconn facility is that it is largely run by women, who account for around 80 per cent of the workforce. Most of the women employees are first-time job seekers aged between 19 and 24 years, the report added.

Many of these workers have migrated from neighbouring states to Karnataka, highlighting the growing employment opportunities created by large-scale manufacturing projects in India, according to ET.

iPhone 17 Pro Max now rolling out

The factory -- spread across 300 acres -- began trial production in April–May with the iPhone 16 and is now assembling Apple’s latest iPhone 17 Pro Max models, according to The Economic Times. While more than 80 per cent of the output is being exported, reinforcing India’s role as a key global manufacturing hub for Apple products.

Employment to rise to 50,000

As production scales up further, the facility has the potential to employ up to 50,000 workers at peak capacity next year, according to a second person quoted by The Economic Times.

To support the workforce, Foxconn has built six large dormitories, several of which are already operational, while construction of additional housing is underway. The campus is expected to gradually evolve into a mini township, with residential facilities, medical services, schools and entertainment options within the premises, ET said.

Attractive pay and facilities for workers

According to estimates, workers at the facility earn an average salary of around Rs 18,000 per month, which is among the highest for women in blue-collar jobs. Free accommodation and subsidised meals are also provided, according to the report.

Moreover, Foxconn is investing nearly Rs 20,000 crore in the Devanahalli project, which is expected to become India’s largest factory in terms of both production capacity and employment once fully operational, ET reported.

With a production floor area of nearly 2.5 lakh square feet, the plant is set to surpass Foxconn’s existing iPhone facility in Tamil Nadu, which currently employs around 41,000 workers.

A government official told The Economic Times that the project reflects the success of the production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme, launched in 2021 to boost domestic manufacturing.

However, Apple and Foxconn did not respond to queries, ET added.