Women power India’s iPhone manufacturing boom

New Delhi: Women are emerging as one of the biggest beneficiaries of the government’s ‘Make in India’ initiative, with large-scale employment generated in the electronics manufacturing sector, Union Electronics and IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said on Monday.

The minister stated that more than one lakh women are currently employed in iPhone manufacturing facilities across India. Women are also playing key roles in highly complex semiconductor manufacturing plants. In a post on social media platform X, Vaishnaw said Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Make in India’ programme is creating new employment opportunities and empowering women in the electronics manufacturing sector.

“PM Narendra Modi Ji’s ‘Make in India’ is empowering women. Electronics manufacturing is creating new employment avenues for women,” he said.

According to the minister, women account for more than half of the workforce in several electronics manufacturing plants across the country. Earlier in February, Vaishnaw had said that the Make in India initiative has generated lakhs of direct and indirect jobs while providing large-scale skilling opportunities, with women being among the largest beneficiaries. The Apple ecosystem alone has created around 2.5 lakh direct jobs in India, nearly 70 per cent of which are held by women.

Apple has significantly expanded its manufacturing footprint in India, increasing iPhone production by about 53 per cent in 2025. Nearly 55 million iPhones were assembled in the country last year, compared with 36 million units in 2024.

India now produces roughly a quarter of Apple’s flagship iPhones as part of the company’s strategy to diversify manufacturing beyond China.

In 2025, iPhones became India’s most valuable export item with shipments worth around $23 billion, largely destined for the United States.