Tata Group Plans To Hire 45,000 Women In The Hosur iPhone Parts Plant

Tata Group plans to multiply the number of employees at its electronics factory in southern India that makes iPhone components, adding tens of thousands of workers.

The plant in the industrial town of Hosur, in Tamil Nadu state, will hire as many as 45,000 women workers within 18 to 24 months as it sets up new production lines. The factory, which produces iPhone housings or the cases that hold the device together, currently employs about 10,000 workers, mostly women.

The salt-to-software conglomerate is among Indian companies trying to benefit from Apple diversifying its supply chain beyond China. While just a tiny fraction of iPhones and their components are made in India, the country is making inroads with its push to challenge China as its neighbour struggles with Covid-related lockdowns and political tensions with the US.

The Hosur plant, spread over more than 500 acres, in September hired about 5,000 women, including those from the indigenous tribal communities. Indian companies are seeking to hire more women to improve the country’s gender imbalance in the workforce. Women at the Hosur factory get gross salaries of just over 16,000 rupees ($194) a month, nearly 40% more than the Indian industry average for employees who use hands or tools for assembly. The workers are given free food and lodging within the campus. Moreover, Tata also plans to provide training and education.

Credits: Bloomberg