As Apple ramps up India production, Tata Electronics is racing to push its Tamil Nadu plant by hiring 15,000 workers. An attempt to achieve Foxconn-level scale?
Tata Electronics is reportedly preparing for a major hiring drive at its Hosur manufacturing facility in Tamil Nadu. The company is expected to increase its workforce from about 60,000 to nearly 75,000 in the next six months. This comes in an attempt to keep pace with rising production orders from Apple.
The Economic Times reported that Tata intends to bring its employment levels closer to those of Foxconn, Apple’s largest contract manufacturer in India. The rapid scale-up reflects Apple’s growing reliance on Indian production lines.
iPhone exports from India reached a record US$10 billion in the first half of the current fiscal year. This marks a sharp 75 per cent rise from US$5.71 billion in the same period a year earlier.
The report said Tata Electronics is expanding rapidly to meet Apple’s needs. The person added that the headcount at Hosur could match Foxconn’s in the coming months, underlining the speed at which Tata has grown its electronics manufacturing operations.
Industry observers say the milestone is significant. They note that an Indian company reaching such a scale within a short timeframe signals the country’s rising role in Apple’s global value chain.
However, the expansion effort is not without challenges. People familiar with the matter said Tata Electronics is having difficulty securing enough skilled workers. The talent shortage is becoming more pronounced as the company scales up.
An expert commented that the company realises it must reassess how it manages manpower, water, power and other operational needs as production grows. Another noted that while customer demand is strong, the availability of trained labour has become a critical issue.
Despite these constraints, Tata Electronics is expected to continue strengthening its manufacturing capabilities as Apple deepens its production footprint in India.
