Apple to create up to 6 lakh jobs in India by end of current financial year

This includes 200,000 direct positions

BENGALURU: Apple’s operations in India are expected to generate up to 600,000 jobs by the end of this financial year, underscoring the company’s substantial expansion in the region as it aims to reduce its dependence on Chinese manufacturing, according to a report.

By March next year, Apple’s workforce in India is projected to include 200,000 direct positions, with women accounting for approximately 70 per cent of these roles, based on estimates and data provided by the company and its suppliers to the government.

The report indicates that Apple’s three contract manufacturers in India—Foxconn, Wistron (now Tata Electronics), and Pegatron—have already created 80,872 direct jobs.

Broader suppliers

Additionally, broader suppliers such as Tata Group, Salcomp, Motherson, Foxlink (in Tamil Nadu), Sunwoda (in Uttar Pradesh), ATL (in Haryana), and Jabil (in Maharashtra) have collectively contributed around 84,000 direct jobs.

Apple has become the largest single creator of blue-collar jobs in India in recent years, with a workforce predominantly composed of women and newcomers to the industry.

An official cited in the report stated, “Overall, Apple vendors and suppliers have created around 165,000 direct jobs since the inception of the smartphone PLI (production-linked incentive) scheme in 2020.”

Tata Group’s dual facility in Hosur, Tamil Nadu, is expected to employ around 50,000 people over time.

iPhone production unit

The iPhone production unit, located adjacent to the group’s enclosure manufacturing plant, is slated to begin commercial production of iPhones in October, with production capacity gradually increasing.

The government estimates that for every direct job created in the electronics industry, three additional indirect jobs are generated. This suggests that the Apple ecosystem could create between 500,000 and 600,000 jobs by the end of March.

When the smartphone PLI scheme was introduced in 2020, it aimed to create 200,000 direct jobs. Although this target was to be achieved by 10 selected companies over five years, the Apple ecosystem has reached this milestone in just four years, according to the report.

Apple has successfully replicated its China model in India, building a comprehensive ecosystem and creating significant employment opportunities.

Over 4 million jobs in China

Over the past 25 years, Apple is reported to have generated over 4 million jobs in China within its manufacturing and app development sectors.

Apple is the first major global value chain (GVC) to quickly shift a segment of its supply chain from China to India.

Starting in 2021, Apple began assembling iPhones in India for the first time outside of China. Since then, iPhone production in India has steadily increased through Apple’s three contract manufacturers, reaching Rs1.20 trillion in FY24, with Rs85,000 crore of that amount being exported.

The latest Economic Survey highlights that India now accounts for about 14 per cent of Apple’s total production, up from approximately 7 per cent in FY23, solidifying its role as a crucial hub for the company’s global exports.