Foxconn urges Indian women to take leadership roles in tech
Foxconn, a leading iPhone manufacturer, is encouraging its female employees in India to assume leadership roles in design and technology-related positions. This follows a recent hiring row where the company reportedly excluded married women from positions at its main iPhone assembly plant here. Foxconn India's workforce now consists of 48,000 employees, with 25% of new recruits being married women. "We see not only the assembly work for women but also some design, technology-related positions," Foxconn Chairman Young Liu told PTI.
Foxconn's workforce: A gender breakdown
The gender distribution at Foxconn's factory is currently 70% women and 30% men. The company has recently inaugurated a women-only residential complex in Sriperumbudur, near Chennai. This facility, constructed by the State Industries Promotion Corporation of Tamil Nadu (SIPCOT), can accommodate over 18,000 female employees working with Foxconn. Liu emphasized that the company's hiring trend is on an upward trajectory in India and it recruits without any gender bias.
Foxconn's expansion plans in India
Foxconn is planning to establish its second largest mobile manufacturing plant outside China in Karnataka, with a proposed investment of ₹25,000 crore. This project is expected to generate 40,000 jobs. The company has already invested about ₹1,200 crore in its Karnataka unit, bringing its total investment to approximately ₹13,800 crore in the Foxconn Hon Hai Technology India Mega Development Pvt Ltd.
Future ventures and strategy
Foxconn is in discussions with the Tamil Nadu government to establish a battery energy storage system unit focusing on electric vehicles (EVs). The company has also partnered to set up a semiconductor plant in India, and is preparing to commence production of electric vehicles. Liu revealed that Foxconn's information and communication technology segment has just started in India, adding "We are also waiting to put our 3+3 future industry in India."
