Foxconn’s Surprise Move: Chinese Workers Pulled Out from Apple’s India Project
Recently, Foxconn, the company that makes iPhones for Apple, told hundreds of its Chinese engineers and technicians working in India to go back home. This move surprised many people and might slow down Apple’s efforts to make more iPhones in India.
Over the past two months, most Chinese staff at Foxconn’s iPhone factories in southern India were asked to leave. More than 300 workers have already returned to China, and now only a few support staff from Taiwan are still working in India.
Nobody knows exactly why Foxconn made this decision. But earlier this year, the Chinese government quietly told local companies to limit sending technology and equipment to India and Southeast Asia. It seems like China wants to stop companies from moving their manufacturing out of the country.
Apple’s CEO, Tim Cook, has often said that Chinese workers are very skilled and important for Apple’s manufacturing success. With fewer Chinese experts in India, it could take more time to train Indian workers and teach them all the technical details. This might make production slower and a bit more expensive.
The quality of iPhones made in India probably won’t change, but the speed and efficiency of making them could be affected. This all comes at a busy time for Apple, as they are getting ready to make the new iPhone 17 in India. Foxconn is also building a brand-new factory in the south of the country.
Neither Apple nor Foxconn have given any official comments about this situation.
Foxconn’s move seems to fit with China’s recent efforts to keep its advanced technology and skilled workers at home. Countries like India and Vietnam want to attract big tech companies that are looking to move some of their production out of China. This trend started a few years ago, especially when Donald Trump was the U.S. president and put new trade rules in place.
Because of those rules, Apple began making some devices in India and Vietnam. Now, with talk of even more tariffs, Apple might speed up this shift. At the same time, China has made it harder to export rare materials and technology.
Even though most iPhones are still made in China, Foxconn has built up a good-sized operation in India. They brought in many Chinese engineers to help train Indian workers. India only started making iPhones on a large scale about four years ago, but now it makes about 20% of all iPhones globally. Apple even plans to make most iPhones for the U.S. market in India by the end of 2026, although Donald Trump has criticized this idea.
Making iPhones in the U.S. would be much more expensive because American labor costs are high. Plus, if China doesn’t let its experts work abroad, it will be even harder for Apple to build iPhones in America.
Foxconn did tell the Indian government about the Chinese staff leaving, but didn’t say why. So far, there hasn’t been a big drop in production.
To help Indian workers, Foxconn has asked its suppliers to change some machines so they can be used by English speakers, since many currently run on Chinese-language software. New, updated machines should arrive in a few months. Meanwhile, Foxconn is also bringing in workers from Taiwan and Vietnam to help out.