740 hectares of land in southern India have been selected to become Apple’s new iPhone production farm. A sequel to the first factory cast in 2021 at the request of Foxconn, the Taiwanese company and major partner of the apple brand. The only difference: their state. After Tamil Nadu, smartphone production is moving to Karnataka, located in the southeast and governed by its capital Bangalore.
A territory where, oddly, the labor law was modified last month.
Two lobbies, two companies, one production and one objective. Foxconn and Apple want to emancipate themselves from China, its risk of shortages, health measures against Covid and its trade war with the United States. India and their Eldorado. And they did not hesitate to impose it. In an article from Financial Times, two sources spoke and described the changes ahead for workers in the region. If the maximum weekly working hours do not change (48 hours), the overtime ceiling increases to 145 from 75 hours previously.
Karnataka is India’s new technology hub. And now a pale copy of the Chinese operating model. The legislation changed with lobbying pressure backed up last month by tech giants. In the new labor law, we learn that the rotations of the production teams go from 9 to 12 hours now. “If we compare India to other countries, we need to significantly increase our efficiency in terms of increasing production”quoted the Financial Times an Indian government official who wished to remain anonymous.
A Foxconn production line, here in the Czech Republic. In India, no photos inside factories are available. © Foxconn
Apple “Customer”
“This is a goal that we are pursuing with the client”, said a source close to Foxconn. “The customer”, not to mention Apple, will be able to maintain the pace by producing… 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. only one rotation during the day. Only two teams will alternate. In the future, other sites will be selected and will host new factories.
Both companies are looking for new projects to launch quickly. Foxconn knows that India is essential for its stability, but some of its competitors are also on the spot (Pegatron, Wistron). Before long, we should see Telangara State announce its own factory. Bordering the state of Karnataka, it hosted Foxconn chairman Young Liu last week. If projects are indeed underway, then we will see labor law rules bend to the iPhone and Apple as we go along.
A long story that can only be summed up in a small, very discreet detail on the iPhone: the inscription “Made in India”.
