Apple’s India Push Creates 2.5 Lakh Jobs, Women Lead the Workforce Transformation

 

Women workers assembling iPhones at an Apple supplier manufacturing facility in India under the PLI scheme.

Apple Inc. has emerged as one of India’s largest generators of blue-collar employment in recent years, powered by the government’s Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme launched in 2021 to promote mobile-phone manufacturing.

In just five years, Apple’s India ecosystem has added more than 2.5 lakh (250,000) direct jobs — significantly exceeding early projections — ahead of the scheme’s conclusion in March 2026. The milestone highlights how global supply chain diversification and domestic policy incentives have combined to accelerate India’s electronics manufacturing ambitions.

Women at the Heart of the Hiring Boom

A striking feature of this employment surge is the overwhelming participation of women. According to data submitted to the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), more than 70% of the newly created direct jobs have gone to women, many aged between 19 and 24 and entering formal employment for the first time.

This shift has had far-reaching social implications. For many young women in states such as Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Uttar Pradesh, these roles represent financial independence, skill development, and access to structured workplace environments. The electronics manufacturing sector has thus become a powerful vehicle for women’s workforce participation, particularly in semi-urban and rural belts.

Tata and Foxconn Lead Assembly Expansion

The two largest iPhone assemblers in India — Tata Group and Foxconn — have together created around 140,000 direct jobs, surpassing their combined commitment of 118,290 roles under the PLI framework.

At peak capacity, Foxconn employs over 70,000 workers across its two plants in India. Meanwhile, Tata Group’s three iPhone facilities account for approximately 72,000 employees. Their combined workforce alone exceeds the government’s original five-year cumulative target of 200,000 direct jobs across all participating firms.

This scale-up signals India’s growing role as a global iPhone production hub, reducing reliance on single-country supply chains and positioning the country as a reliable alternative manufacturing base.

MSMEs Strengthen Apple’s Supply Chain

Beyond anchor manufacturers, an additional 110,000 direct jobs have been generated by a wide mix of Indian, foreign, and joint-venture companies that now form a crucial layer of Apple’s component ecosystem.

More than 30 Indian micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) have joined the supply chain, producing components and sub-assemblies for iPhones, MacBooks, and accessories. These suppliers are spread across eight states, including Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Maharashtra, Telangana, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka.

Key players expanding operations include Tata Electronics, Hindalco Industries, Bharat Forge, VVDN Technologies, Wipro PARI, Salcomp, Motherson Group, Sunwoda Electronic, Foxlink, SFO Technologies, TEAL, and Jabil.

Several of these firms now export directly into Apple’s global supply chain, reflecting deeper localisation and integration with international markets.

Indirect Jobs Multiply the Impact

The broader employment ripple effect has been even more substantial. While the government initially projected indirect job creation at roughly three times the direct employment figure — about 600,000 by the end of the PLI period — Apple’s ecosystem alone is estimated to have generated nearly 750,000 indirect jobs.

These roles span logistics, packaging, warehousing, facility management, tooling, catering, transportation, and ancillary services. The multiplier effect demonstrates how large-scale manufacturing investments stimulate local economies far beyond factory floors.

Exports Surge, Smartphones Become India’s Top Category

The export impact has been transformative. Between January and December 2025, India’s smartphone exports reached $30 billion, with iPhones accounting for $23 billion — an overwhelming 76% share.

Over the past decade, smartphones have risen dramatically in India’s export rankings, moving from the 167th position to becoming the country’s single largest export category between 2015 and 2025. Apple’s localisation drive has therefore not only expanded employment but also reshaped India’s export profile.

Mobile devices now sit at the centre of India’s emerging industrial narrative, reinforcing the country’s ambition to become a global electronics manufacturing powerhouse.

A New Industrial Chapter for India

As the PLI scheme approaches its scheduled wind-down in March 2026, Apple’s India journey offers a case study in how coordinated policy incentives and global corporate strategy can transform a sector within a short span.

With 2.5 lakh direct jobs created — the majority benefiting young women — and a rapidly expanding supplier ecosystem across multiple states, Apple’s manufacturing push has delivered economic, social, and export dividends.

🚨 Apple has created over 2.5 lakh direct jobs in India. pic.twitter.com/evMDMUeyyO

— Aism India | 📈 #1 Stock Market Information & News (@Aismindiia) February 26, 2026

In effect, the company’s India expansion marks not just a business success story, but a structural shift in the country’s manufacturing landscape — one that could define the next decade of industrial growth.