Significant Increase in Female Workforce in India’s iPhone Manufacturing
NEW DELHI — Over 100,000 women are presently engaged in iPhone manufacturing facilities across India, a development that underscores the burgeoning involvement of women in the country’s rapidly evolving electronics sector, as reported by Union Electronics and IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Monday.
Vaishnaw highlighted that women have emerged as substantial beneficiaries of the “Make in India” initiative, a government program that has catalyzed extensive employment opportunities within the electronics manufacturing domain.
“PM @narendramodi Ji’s ‘Make in India’ is empowering women. Electronics manufacturing is creating new employment avenues for women,” Vaishnaw articulated in a post on the social media platform X.
The minister elaborated that women constitute over half of the workforce at numerous electronics plants nationwide. Notably, female employees are also participating in intricate operations at sophisticated semiconductor production facilities.
Earlier in February, Vaishnaw stated that women have been predominant among the beneficiaries of the “Make in India” program, which has generated hundreds of thousands of direct and indirect employment opportunities while fostering extensive skill development initiatives.
The expansive Apple manufacturing ecosystem in India has facilitated approximately 250,000 direct jobs, with nearly 70 percent of those roles filled by women, according to the minister.
Apple has markedly broadened its production reach in India, part of a strategic move to diversify its manufacturing base beyond China.
Reports indicate that the company amplified iPhone production in India by nearly 53 percent in 2025, assembling close to 55 million devices compared to 36 million units the prior year.
India now accounts for approximately a quarter of Apple’s flagship iPhones, aligning with the company’s overarching aim to decrease dependency on Chinese manufacturing and mitigate potential tariff vulnerabilities.
Globally, Apple assembles around 220 million to 230 million iPhones yearly, and India’s contribution is steadily on the rise. Much of this growth is bolstered by the government’s production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme, which provides financial incentives to manufacturers.
This initiative has been instrumental in alleviating structural challenges, such as weaker supply chains and logistical hurdles, when juxtaposed with China.
Older models, including the iPhone 15 and iPhone 16, continue to be manufactured domestically for both the local market and export opportunities.
By 2025, iPhones emerged as India’s most significant export commodity, with shipments valued at approximately $23 billion, predominantly destined for the United States, as per industry reports.
Moreover, smartphones ascended to become India’s top export category for the first time, achieving total exports of $30.13 billion during the January–December timeframe, of which Apple represented around 76 percent.
Source link: Indusbusinessjournal.com.
