Apple ecosystem created over 1,50,000 direct jobs in India since August 2021: Report

Since the launch of the production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme for smartphones in August 2021, the Apple ecosystem has directly employed over 150,000 individuals, according to a report by The Economic Times. This makes Apple India's top blue-collar job creator. Most of these employees are first-time job seekers aged between 19 and 24.

The report also states that around 300,000 additional jobs have been generated indirectly. Apple reportedly employs nearly 3,000 people in India, with its iOS app development supporting over 1 million jobs. The company has been focusing on India, the world's second-largest smartphone market, due to geopolitical tensions and market slumps in the US and China.

Apple started manufacturing iPhones in India in 2017, in line with the PLI scheme, and has been working with suppliers to assemble the latest iPhone models and produce an increasing number of components locally. The three contract manufacturers, Foxconn, Wistron and Pegatron, have created over 77,000 direct jobs.

Over 70,000 new direct jobs have been created by the rapidly growing Apple supplier ecosystem. Key job creators among Apple suppliers include Tata Electronics, Salcomp Technologies, Foxlink and Sunwoda. Thousands of new jobs have also been created by Avary Technologies, CCL Industries and Flex. To support this growing ecosystem, Apple recently launched a women's health educational programme as part of its $50-million Supplier Employee Development Fund.