The Indian government has finally responded towards the growing concerns over the sudden departure of hundreds of Chinese engineers from Foxconn’s iPhone manufacturing plant in Tamil Nadu. These engineers played a key role in managing all production lines, training staff, and also the operating specialized equipment. Their exit have sparked the speculation about the possible delays in the production of Apple’s upcoming iPhone 17 series.
Government officials have assured that Apple has their alternative solutions
Apple is now well prepared for this situation. According to the sources the issue is mainly between Apple and Foxconn the government is closely monitoring the production target to ensure that there’s no disruption.
Foxconn Apple’s largest contract manufacturer
It has been expanding its operations in India as a part of Apple’s broader strategy is to reduce it’s dependence on China. This shift is part a of the “China” approach, where the companies diversify their supply chains to other countries. India has emerged as a strong contender among them thanks to the government support and incentives under the Production that Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme.
Apple is now scaling up its production in India
In fact, the company plan is to manufacture upto 60 million iPhones in India this year, a significant jump from the 35–40 million units produced last year. Apple CEO Tim Cook have recently confirmed that all iPhones sold in the US during the June quarter were shipped from India, highlighting the country’s growing importance in Apple’s global supply chain.
To fill the gap left by the Chinese engineers
Foxconn is reportedly bringing in all the experts from Taiwan and Vietnam. Additionally, efforts are underway to train more Indian workers and convert these Chinese-language machinery to English-operated systems. These steps are expected to maintain the production efficiency and quality.
The government have also facilitated visas for Chinese workers
Now companies are being asked to make the arrangements to avoid any production delays. Officials believe that Apple have strong presence in India, along with its partnerships with Tata Electronics and other local vendors it will help the company to stay on the track.
In the financial year ending March 2025
Apple have assembled iPhones worth $22 billion in India, marking upto 60% increase from the previous year. The company is also planning to open new Apple Stores in India by the end of 2025 for further strengthening its footprint in the country.
