Apple has directly employed an estimated 1,50,000 people in its ecosystem in India since it participated in the country's production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme for smartphones in August 2021, as per an Economic Times report.
The majority of those employed are first-time time job seekers aged between 19 and 24 years, it added citing estimates from government officials and experts. Companies that get PLI benefits are required to report employment data to the government.
The report further said that around 3,00,000 other people were also employed indirectly through companies benefiting from the PLI scheme.
More specific than the ecosystem, Apple directly employs 3,000 people in India and the development of its iOS application supports over 10,00,000 jobs, the officials added.
"Overall, the Apple ecosystem is likely to have created over 4 lakh jobs (directly and indirectly) in the last 32 months," an official told the paper.
Apple did not respond to queries, as per the report.
Despite challenges in key markets such as the United States and China, Apple has intensified its focus on India, the world's second-largest smartphone market.
Since initiating iPhone manufacturing in India in 2017, Apple has expanded its local production in line with the PLI scheme. It collaborates with suppliers such as Foxconn, Wistron, and Pegatron, Apple to bolster manufacturing capabilities.
Apple is fostering a supplier ecosystem in India, spanning across multiple states and creating over 77,000 direct jobs, the report said. Foxconn is the leading collaborator in terms of job creation at 41,000 jobs, followed by Wistron with 27,300 jobs created and Pegatron with 9,200 jobs, the report said.
In addition to the three contract manufacturers, other notable contributors include Tata Electronics and Salcomp Technologies, among others, which are involved in the production of enclosures, power adaptors, cables, and batteries for iPhones. This supplier system has created over 70,000 direct jobs, officials told the paper.
To further support its expanding ecosystem, Apple has launched educational programs, including initiatives focused on women's health, as part of its $50-million Supplier Employee Development Fund.
Apple's production figures in FY24 exceeded ₹1 lakh crore in February, far surpassing PLI targets and positioning the company as a leading phone manufacturer in India.
