Apple is set to expand its workforce in India to 500,000 within the next three years, planning to relocate half of its China-based supply chain, according to the Economic Times. The company aims to boost the domestic value addition in India from the current 11-12 percent to 15-18 percent. This strategic shift underscores India’s growing role as both a critical market and a potential hub for research and development. Presently, India’s local value addition is 14 percent, significantly lower than China’s 41 percent.
Since the launch of the production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme for smartphones in August 2021, Apple has emerged as India’s largest blue-collar employer in its supplier network, creating 150,000 jobs. Additionally, it is estimated to support around 300,000 indirect jobs.
Apple’s major suppliers including Foxconn, Tata, and Salcomp are enhancing their infrastructure by planning residential facilities for factory workers, aiming to build 78,000 units, 58,000 of which will be in Tamil Nadu.
Key employment contributors within Apple’s supplier network in India are Tata Electronics, Salcomp Technologies, Foxlink, and Sunwoda, among others.
Apple’s production in India has seen significant growth, with iPhones valued at over Rs 1 lakh crore manufactured last year, Rs 65,000 crore worth of which were exported.
