iPhone-maker Foxconn wants more women in leadership positions in India’s tech sector

iPhone-maker, Foxconn claims it is focusing on promoting women employees in India to leadership positions, especially in design and technology roles. The development comes weeks after some major claims against the company's hiring policy in some of its Indian facilities. The company's chairman, Young Liu, emphasised the importance of offering more opportunities to women, beyond traditional assembly jobs.

Liu highlighted that many of Foxconn's employees in India are highly educated and that the company is keen to help them advance into more challenging and rewarding roles, according to a report by PTI. "We see not only the assembly work for women but also some design, technology-related positions," Liu said. He added that Foxconn wants to give its female employees "more opportunity to advance their position."

In India, Foxconn employs around 48,000 people, with women making up 70 per cent of this workforce. A significant number of these women are new hires, and 25 per cent of them are married. To support this workforce, the company recently opened a women-only residential complex near Chennai, which can house over 18,000 employees.

Foxconn is also expanding its operations in India. It is setting up its second-largest mobile manufacturing plant outside China in Karnataka, with an investment of Rs 25,000 crore. This new plant is expected to create 40,000 jobs.

Future plans in India
Foxconn is not just focusing on manufacturing. The company is exploring new ventures in India, including a potential battery energy storage system unit in Tamil Nadu, aimed at supporting electric vehicles. Additionally, Foxconn is working on setting up a semiconductor plant and starting electric vehicle production in India.

Liu mentioned that the company’s "information and communication technology segment has just started in India," and Foxconn is looking forward to furthering its "3+3 strategy." This strategy involves expanding its business in three key industries: electric vehicles, digital health, and robotics.