Taiwanese electronics major Hon Hai Precision Industry, better known as Foxconn, has hired nearly 30,000 workers at its new iPhone assembly facility in Devanahalli near Bengaluru within just eight to nine months, marking the fastest factory scale-up seen in India so far, according to people familiar with the development. The accelerated hiring reflects Apple’s strategy to diversify its manufacturing base beyond China. Spread across 300 acres, the Bengaluru facility is largely operated by women, who account for around 80 per cent of the workforce. Most employees are aged between 19 and 24 and are first-time entrants to the formal workforce. The plant began trial production in April–May this year, assembling iPhone 16 models, and has since moved on to manufacturing the latest iPhone 17 Pro Max. More than 80 per cent of the output is being exported, underscoring India’s growing role in Apple’s global supply chain. At peak capacity next year, the unit is expected to employ up to 50,000 people. The campus includes six large dormitories, several of which are already operational for women workers, with construction of additional facilities progressing rapidly. With further expansion planned, the site is expected to house more women workers in a single location than any other public or private organisation in the country. A significant number of women migrants from neighbouring states have also secured employment at the factory. The project is being developed as a self-contained township, offering housing, healthcare, schooling and recreational facilities within the premises. Employees receive free accommodation and subsidised meals, and earn an average monthly salary of around Rs 18,000, among the highest pay levels for women in blue-collar roles. Foxconn is investing about Rs 200 billion in the Bengaluru venture, which is set to become India’s largest factory by employment and production capacity once fully operational. The production floor alone spans nearly 250,000 square feet. The new unit is also expected to surpass Foxconn’s first iPhone manufacturing facility in Tamil Nadu, which currently employs around 41,000 workers. When fully built out, the Bengaluru factory is likely to host up to a dozen iPhone assembly lines, compared with about four at present. Apple has steadily expanded iPhone production in India under the production-linked incentive scheme launched in 2021. Government officials have described the project as a major success of the Centre’s push to raise manufacturing’s share in GDP, noting that such speed and scale of expansion would have been difficult to achieve just a few years ago. India has now emerged as a critical hub in Apple’s global manufacturing network, with all iPhone models being produced in the country from the outset and exported worldwide. Apple’s supplier ecosystem in India has expanded to nearly 45 companies, including component makers and sub-assembly firms. The company also works closely with partners on workforce development, with newly hired women employees undergoing around six weeks of on-the-job training before joining iPhone production lines.