iPhone maker Foxconn plans to set up another factory near Bengaluru

iPhone maker Foxconn has drawn up a proposal to set up another factory in Karnataka that is expected to come up at a 100 acre plot at Tumukuru near Bengaluru, according to a press statement issued by the state government.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah chaired a meeting with the Foxconn Industrial Internet CEO Brand Cheng and other executives in Bengaluru on Monday. Industries Minister MB Patil and IT Minister Priyank Kharge also participated in the meeting.

Foxconn Industrial Internet (FII), a subsidiary of Foxconn, proposes to invest Rs 8,800 crore in the new plant which would create 14,000 jobs.

“The delegates of the company will be taken to examine the available land at Japan Industrial Township in Tumakuru today itself,” the press statement said.

FII will engage in manufacturing screens, and outer coverings apart from making mechanical components needed for phones. This would operate as a supplementary plant to Foxconn’s end assembly unit that is being set up near the Bengaluru airport.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said that Karnataka has an ecosystem to enable the growth of industries.

He said his government would take the initiative to make available human resources with the required skill sets.

Industries minister MB Patil, in the release, stated that the statement government would extend all cooperation for the proposed projects.

Taiwanese electronics giant Foxconn has already bought 300 acres of land near the Bengaluru airport as it looks to diversify production away from China.

Its subsidiary Foxconn Hon Hai Technology India Mega Development is paying Rs 300 crore ($37 million) for the huge tract of land located in Devanahalli on the outskirts of Bengaluru.

Foxconn is the world’s biggest contract electronics manufacturer and a main assembler of Apple iPhones.

Both companies are seeking to move away from China and create alternative supply chains as the Communist giant stands alienated due to its military muscle flexing in the South China Sea and dubious role in the spread of Covid-19 pandemic that destroyed lives and livelihoods across the world.

Foxconn chairman Young Liu had visited the state earlier to “deepen partnerships… and seek cooperation in new areas such as semiconductor development and electric vehicles.”

He also met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who said the pair’s “discussions covered various topics aimed at enhancing India’s tech and innovation eco-system”.

Foxconn has been manufacturing Apple smartphones in India since 2019 at its plant in Tamil Nadu.

Two other Taiwanese suppliers, Wistron and Pegatron, also manufacture and assemble Apple devices in India.

Apple has been making its own push into India and chief executive Tim Cook himself visited the country last month to its first two retail stores in Mumbai and Delhi.