A new report suggests Apple’s growing shift toward manufacturing iPhones in India is beginning to reshape, and in some ways weaken, the dominance of China’s long-standing “iPhone City.” The report, published by Le Monde, highlights how Foxconn’s giant Zhengzhou plant is struggling with shrinking labour numbers, stricter regulations, and a decline in seasonal workers, even as India rapidly scales up production.
For more than a decade, the Zhengzhou factory, once employing around 300,000 workers during peak months, has been the global heart of iPhone assembly. Each year, production ramps up dramatically between August and November ahead of the September iPhone launch. To meet the surge, Foxconn traditionally relies heavily on temporary workers, hiring tens of thousands at once. In August 2024, for example, the company brought in around 50,000 temporary staff for the iPhone 16 series.
But this seasonal model has faced increasing scrutiny. Chinese law caps temporary workers at 10% of a company’s workforce. According to China Labor Watch, more than half of Foxconn’s workforce at “iPhone City” are temporary hires, a violation the company was also accused of back in 2019. The system has long been criticised for unstable employment, poor working conditions, and annual unrest, including worker protests over pay and bonuses.
The report also reveals that the plant’s base monthly wage, around $295, is significantly lower than Zhengzhou’s average, forcing Foxconn to rely on large seasonal bonuses to attract workers. At peak season, bonuses can reach over $1,300 per month, creating a cycle where workers join for a few months, then leave as soon as production falls.
But the larger shift is happening outside China. In 2016–17, Foxconn’s peak workforce stood at roughly 300,000. Today, it has dropped to about 150,000.
The reason: Apple is accelerating iPhone production in India.
Around 20% of all iPhones are now made in India, a number that has surged in 2024 and 2025 as Apple works to diversify supply chains and reduce exposure to China tariffs. India has aggressively pushed local manufacturing with incentives and factory expansions from Foxconn, Pegatron and Tata Electronics, giving Apple more flexibility than ever.
With more factories coming online in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, India is steadily absorbing work that once belonged solely to Zhengzhou. While China remains Apple’s main production base, “iPhone City” is slowly losing its grip as India positions itself as the next major hub, signalling one of the most significant geographic shifts the iPhone supply chain has ever seen.
