Govt Monitoring Return Of Chinese Techies From Foxconn

SUMMARY

The Centre believes that Apple has alternatives to handle issues pertaining to the return of Chinese technology professionals from Foxconn in India

The government is also monitoring the production targets of Foxconn in the country

It is believed that the return of these professionals would become a bottleneck for the production of the upcoming 17 series iPhone

The Centre is reportedly monitoring production targets at Foxconn and believes that Apple has alternatives to handle issues pertaining to the return of Chinese technology professionals from the electronics manufacturer’s plant in India.

Earlier this month, Foxconn recalled about 300 Chinese engineers from India.

A PTI report said that most of these Chinese professionals were handling assembly lines, factory design and were also involved in training talents to handle tools and machines for iPhone production. It is believed that the return of these professionals would become a bottleneck for the production of the upcoming 17 series iPhone.

“The government is monitoring the situation. Apple has alternatives and they should be able to look at ways to handle this. The issue is primarily between Apple and Foxconn,” a government source told PTI.

The PTI report also said that the Centre is monitoring the production targets of Foxconn in the country.

According to a separate ET report, components used for assembling the 17 series iPhone have reached the Indian shores and trial production will begin soon while mass production is estimated to start in August. The launch of iPhone 17 is expected to be in September.

The return of Chinese engineers from India comes on the heels of Apple’s relentless efforts to push the production of iPhones in India. Besides, the Cupertino-based company is shifting its entire import supply chain of iPhones to the US in India.

The company plans to make this major supply chain diversification by the end of FY26 to reduce its dependence on China. The move will double the production of iPhones in India to 60 Mn units annually and Apple contract manufacturers in the country which includes Tata Electronics and Foxconn are ramping up their production capacity and building new units to achieve this output.

While Apple is diversifying its supply chain to not get caught up in the trade war between the US and China, in May, president Donald Trump expressed its concerns over Apple pushing its iPhone production efforts in India. “I don’t want you building in India … because India is one of the highest tariff nations in the world so it is very hard to sell in India,” the US president had said at the time.