Foxconn’s new iPhone assembly plant near Bengaluru has quietly expanded its manufacturing in India. In less than a year, the Taiwanese contract manufacturer has hired nearly 30,000 workers at its Devanahalli facility, marking the fastest workforce expansion ever recorded at a single manufacturing site in the country, according to a report by The Economic Times.
The Devanahalli unit began trial production around April-May this year and has since moved rapidly from pilot lines to large-scale assembly. In just nine months, Foxconn has added close to 30,000 employees, a scale-up that industry officials say is unprecedented in Indian manufacturing.
The pace and profile of hiring offer a window into how global electronics manufacturing is reshaping India’s labour market, particularly for young women entering formal employment for the first time.
Around 80 per cent of the workforce consists of women, most aged between 19 and 24. For many, this is their first experience of structured, salaried employment, reported Business Standard.
A large number of workers have migrated from neighbouring states to Karnataka, drawn by the promise of steady income, accommodation and training.
Inside the Devanahalli Production Lines
The factory’s production journey has mirrored Apple’s evolving product cycle. Initial trial runs focused on the iPhone 16, before the facility transitioned to assembling Apple’s latest premium device, the iPhone 17 Pro Max. According to the report, more than four-fifths of the phones produced at the Bengaluru plant are shipped overseas, underlining India’s growing role in Apple’s global supply chain.
Foxconn expects employment at the site to touch 50,000 by next year once full capacity is achieved. Several large dormitories for women workers are already operational, while additional accommodation blocks are being built at pace to support the expanding workforce.
Why the Factory Is Turning Into a Mini Township
As hiring accelerates, the Devanahalli complex is being designed as a self-contained ecosystem rather than a conventional factory campus. The long-term plan includes residential facilities, healthcare services, schools and recreational spaces within the premises.
Workers are provided free accommodation and subsidised meals, a model increasingly seen as essential for sustaining large migrant workforces. The average monthly salary stands at around Rs 18,000, placing it among the better-paying blue-collar manufacturing jobs available to women in India today.
Industry experts note that such township-style facilities help improve retention, reduce absenteeism and offer a degree of stability that traditional factory arrangements often lack.
India’s Largest iPhone Manufacturing Hub
Foxconn is investing close to Rs 20,000 crore in the Devanahalli project, which is expected to become India’s biggest iPhone manufacturing facility by both production capacity and employment. The production floor alone spans roughly 250,000 square feet, making it one of the largest manufacturing sites in the country.
Once fully operational, the Bengaluru unit is expected to surpass Foxconn’s older iPhone facility in Tamil Nadu, which currently employs around 41,000 workers. The new plant could eventually operate up to 12 iPhone assembly lines, compared with about four at present.
What This Means for India’s Manufacturing Push
Government officials cited in the report describe the project as a major milestone under India’s Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme, launched in 2021 to attract global manufacturers. A few years ago, Apple’s rapid scale-up in India would have seemed unlikely. Today, the country has become a central pillar of the company’s global manufacturing strategy.
All iPhone models are now assembled in India from the start of production and exported worldwide. This expansion is supported by a local ecosystem of nearly 45 suppliers producing components and sub-assemblies. Apple and its partners also invest heavily in skill development, with new recruits undergoing around six weeks of hands-on training before joining production lines.
