According to a report by foreign technology media Rest of World, Foxconn’s expansion of its Indian factory was not going smoothly.
Foxconn sends Chinese employees to India to oversee operations and train employees. However, not many employees sent to India understand English and do not know enough about the local culture.
Foxconn has nearly copied its factories in mainland China, using machines from the country and many devices with Mandarin text and instructions.
Foxconn factory in Sunguvarchatram, signage at the entrance of SIPCOT Industrial Park, Source: Rest of World
A senior Indian manager said: “Including standard operating procedures, work instructions, and commands, all machine documents are written in Mandarin, the software interface is also in Mandarin, and even the emergency button is not localized.”
Employees have started using translation apps and communicating using basic body language, with human translators helping, but overall the expansion of Foxconn’s India factories has not been as fast as expected.
The government’s attempt to legislate an eight-hour working day in Indian law was shelved after major protests.
Chinese employees posted to India were shocked by the schedules adhered to in India, with one manager lamenting: “In addition to working 8 hours a day, there are breaks built into the shift. You just settle into your seat and the next break comes the time has come.”
Foxconn China uses extra wages and bonuses to attract workers who work longer shifts. It tried a similar tactic in India, but to no avail — Indian workers refused to work overtime.
The report states that Foxconn’s Sunguvarchathram plant currently assembles iPhone 15 models, accounting for less than 10%.
