Constrained by COVID-19 restrictions at its largest factory, Foxconn is apparently looking to quadruple its workforce in India. The hiring increase is expected to occur over the next two years, according to Reuters.
In the face of strict health regulations threatening its bottom line, Foxconn is said to be diversifying its supply chain away from China. Currently, Foxconn employees roughly 17,000 workers in India. According to some reports, the iPhone assembler is working to increase that to 70,000 employees by 2024. While neither Foxconn nor Apple have commented on the matter, two government officials with knowledge of the plans detailed them to the media.
China’s largest facility in Zhengzhou, China, employs at least 200,000 workers and is known by many as “iPhone City.” The plant is facing considerable problems right now given a COVID-19 outbreak. The factory has returned to closed-loop production protocols since mid-October, and some workers have fled the plant given the conditions present there.
With regard to Foxconn’s Indian operations, Foxconn’s current plant in India was originally opened in 2019 in the southern state of Tamil Nadu. This facility may or may not have the production space or capacity to handle the increase. It’s unknown as to the possible scale of expansion and the timelines involved. It also remains possible that Foxconn would have to build another plant to accommodate the production shift.
Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.
Via The Mac Observer and Reuters