According to Reuters, Indian government officials familiar with the matter said that Apple supplier Foxconn plans to increase the number of employees at its iPhone factory in India by 53,000 within two years, thereby increasing the number of employees at its southern Indian factory to 10,000. 70,000 people. Both Foxconn and Apple declined to comment.
Recent supply chain disruptions at Foxconn prompted Apple this week to lower its forecast for shipments of the iPhone 14 Pro line of models, dampening sales prospects during the busy year-end holiday season.
Foxconn opened its India facility in 2019 and has been ramping up production, starting with the iPhone 14 series this year. Foxconn is known to be interested in expanding the facility, but has not previously announced the size or timeline of the planned expansion.
A government source in India said that Foxconn Tamil Nadu will accelerate its plans to hire at the Indian plant. Also in addition to the iPhone, the plant makes products for other global technology companies, but the new hiring is primarily to meet growing demand for iPhone production.
On Oct. 27, India’s state investment promotion department said senior government officials had traveled to meet with Hon Hai Chairman Liu Yangwei to “discuss in detail Foxconn’s new venture and investment plans” and to offer government support.
The state is holding discussions with suppliers to address issues such as worker housing facilities as it looks to expand, the officials said.
Two government sources added that officials in Tamil Nadu, an electronics and automotive manufacturing hub, are also pushing Apple suppliers to expand into manufacturing components for the iPhone, rather than just assembling them.
Currently, the Indian iPhone is being assembled by at least three Apple global suppliers: Foxconn and PEGATRON in Tamil Nadu; and Wistron in the nearby state of Karnataka.
Analysts at JPMorgan Chase predicted in September that Apple could produce two-quarters of the world’s iPhones in India by 2025 and that 25 percent of all Apple products, including Macs, iPads, Apple Watches and AirPods, will be made overseas by 2025, up from 5 percent today.
