iPhone manufacturing partner Foxconn has begun recalling hundreds of Chinese engineers and technicians from its Indian assembly facilities back to China, reports Bloomberg. The move could put in jeopardy Apple’s plans to move the lion’s share of its iPhone production from China to India.
Bloomberg says its sources tell it that Foxconn is recalling a large number of its normally Chinese-based personnel back to China. The workers had been located at the company’s Indian manufacturing plants in souther India. The company kicked off the process approximately two months ago and since then, over 300 workers have returned to their home country. Foxconn is sending workers back to China, even as it is constructing new facilities in India.
The returning workers, are mostly made up of engineers and technicians that provided on-site support for operations, playing a central role in training Indian workers on production processes. Foxconn’s Taiwanese support personnel will continue to remain in India, said one source.
Foxconn’s withdrawl of workers from India comes as Apple is gearing up production of its upcoming iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Pro lineups. Apple has joined other global firms in working to diversify its production to companies outside of China, due to trade/tariff battles between that country and the United States.
Bloomberg suggests Foxconn is trying to soothe Chinese authorities who froen heavily on Chinese companies’ export of labor, technology, and equipment to India and other countries. Companies like Foxconn have been bowing to pressure from Apple and other global companies to diversify their supply chain to facilities outside of China.
Foxconn’s India plants began producing iPhones four or so years ago, with a fifth of the iPhone’s being sold globally now coming from India.
While Foxconn’s recall of Chinese workers is not expected to affect its production numbers, whether the pull out will affect the Indian plants’ ability to meet Apple’s ultra-high product standards remains to be seen.
