Foxconn building dorms at 300-acre iPhone campus in India: Report
Foxconn is building dormitories for its workers at its 300-acre iPhone manufacturing campus in Devanahalli, Karnataka, reported The Economic Times (ET). The dorms are part of the company's plan to support a large number of workers at its plant, which is expected to play a major role in Apple's growing operations in India.Foxconn is one of Apple's main manufacturing partners and is investing heavily in its Indian plants. The Devanahalli site, spread across Doddagollahalli and Chapparadahalli villages, is about 34 km from Bengaluru's Kempegowda International Airport.The company is investing about $2.56 billion in the Karnataka unit. In the first phase (2023–24), Foxconn invested around Rs 3,000 crore, and the second phase (2026–27) is expected to involve a similar amount.The goal is to manufacture about 100,000 iPhones at the Karnataka unit by December 2025.DORMS TO HOUSE 30,000 WORKERSThe new dormitories are expected to house around 30,000 workers, making it the biggest such facility in India. ET reported that construction of the dorms is in full swing and is likely to be completed by the end of the year. The dorms are meant only for workers, not senior executives.A key feature of the project is that women workers will be given preference for dormitory housing. According to ET, 50–80% of the workforce at the Devanahalli plant are women. One employee told the publication that women travel long distances to reach work, and the dorms will help reduce this daily struggle.A banner at the construction site referred to the 'Safety alert month for the new dormitory project in area C&D of the Elephant Project,' which is the internal name for the iPhone plant in Devanahalli.Foxconn already follows a similar worker housing model at its Sriperumbudur unit in Tamil Nadu, where it has dorms for around 18,000 employees.IPHONE PRODUCTION UNDERWAYFoxconn employees told ET that some iPhone models have already entered production as of May, with others expected to follow in August. The company is reportedly getting ready to start shipments from the Devanahalli unit by June. Wan Hai container trucks—used for transporting goods—were seen parked near the campus during ET's visit, possibly in preparation for these shipments. Wan Hai Lines is a Taiwanese shipping company known for its network in Asia.Foxconn's Devanahalli plant is expected to become one of its largest units in the world after China, under the company's 'China+1' strategy. This approach is meant to reduce reliance on manufacturing in China by increasing operations in other countries like India.Foxconn is also a key supplier of components for iPhones, along with Tata Electronics in India. Tata has recently taken over the India units of Wistron and Pegatron, both Apple suppliers.FOREIGN STAFF AND HOUSINGSome senior employees from Taiwan working at the Devanahalli plant are living in rented houses and hotels nearby, according to Indian employees at the unit. Sandeep Reddy, cofounder of property data firm Zapkey, told ET that expatriates working at Foxconn are renting homes at high-end real estate projects, with rents starting from Rs 2.5 lakh.In November last year, ET reported that real estate company BCD Group leased 900 ready-to-move-in residential units to Foxconn in Hoskote, near Devanahalli.These homes, priced under Rs 45 lakh each, were built at a cost of Rs 500 crore and are expected to house between 6,000 and 8,000 women workers. The 75-acre township will also have commercial areas, schools, health centres and entertainment zones, according to BCD Group MD Angad Singh Bedi.PLANS TO MAKE MILLIONS OF IPHONESIn March, ET reported that Foxconn plans to produce 25–30 million iPhones in India in 2025, which is more than double the number it made in the country last year.Apple CEO Tim Cook said on May 1 that in the June quarter, the company expects most iPhones sold in the United States to be made in India instead of China.Foxconn currently has operations in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Telangana. Apart from the Bengaluru unit, it has also started a new facility in Hyderabad to manufacture AirPods, showing the expansion of Apple's product manufacturing in India. Its main iPhone assembly centre continues to be its Sriperumbudur campus near Chennai.Must Watch
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