Prime Highlights
- Foxconn’s rapid hiring in Bengaluru has increased women’s employment and pushed up wages across the local manufacturing sector.
- Women now account for nearly 70% of direct jobs in India’s mobile phone manufacturing industry, supported by the PLI scheme and factory expansion.
Key Facts
- Foxconn employs around 26,000 people at its Bengaluru campus, including over 21,700 women, and has built hostels for 30,000 employees.
- According to MeitY, women make up nearly 30% of the 25 lakh jobs created in India’s electronics manufacturing sector over the past decade.
Background
With the increasing production capacity of firms through the Production Linked Incentive policy of India, women have become an indispensable part of the rapidly growing electronics manufacturing industry in India. The massive recruitment of women in the Bengaluru plant of Foxconn has led to the rise in the number of women workers in the plants, as well as the wages paid in the adjacent labour market.
Foxconn employs almost 26,000 workers in its Bengaluru plant, out of which around 21,700 are women. Additionally, Foxconn has constructed hostels meant for women, which can house up to 30,000 workers. The company crossed ₹1 lakh crore in revenue in FY25 and is planning fresh investments of nearly ₹14,000 crore in India.
The expansion has changed the labour market around Devanahalli, with smaller manufacturers raising salaries and offering additional benefits to retain employees. Foxconn said it provides housing, skill development and training in areas such as robotics, smart manufacturing and leadership to support employee growth.
The rise in women workers is visible across major electronics manufacturing hubs. More companies are setting up factories and upgrading workplace facilities in Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, leading to more women taking part in the workforce. Manufacturers have introduced hostels, transport services, apprenticeship programmes and safety measures to attract more women.
According to the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), women account for nearly 30% of the 25 lakh jobs created in electronics manufacturing over the past decade. In mobile phone manufacturing, they represent nearly 70% of the 12 lakh direct jobs. Industry executives said automation, cleaner workplaces and better career opportunities have helped increase women’s participation, although retaining skilled workers remains a major challenge.
