India’s human rights watchdog targets Foxconn over claims the Apple supplier refused to hire married women

An employee works at an assembly line in the mobile phone plant of a unit of Foxconn in Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu, India on July 12, 2019.

Foxconn’s fledgling Indian supply chain is deep in an employment scandal over allegations the Apple supplier refused to hire married women for its factory in Tamil Nadu.

The National Human Rights Commission, India’s human rights watchdog, called for a detailed report into Foxconn’s hiring practices within a week in notices to both India’s labor ministry and the Tamil Nadu state government.

The Commission is the latest group to pressure India’s government over Foxconn since a report from Reuters, published early last week, alleged the Apple supplier rejected married women from assembly jobs at its main iPhone plant near Chennai, in the state of Tamil Nadu.

Hiring agents and Foxconn HR sources quoted by Reuters blamed “family duties, pregnancy, and higher absenteeism” for the policy.

Since the report, India’s opposition parties and the women’s wing of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s party have urged the government to investigate.

In a statement, Foxconn refuted allegations of employment discrimination, claiming that almost 25% of women employed in its latest hiring round are married. Foxconn generally outsources its recruitment of assembly-line workers to third-party vendors.

Foxconn in India

Foxconn, the world’s largest contract manufacturer, began assembling iPhones in India in 2017. It first focused on older models, but started assembling Apple’s flagship phones in India in 2020. Last year, Indian-made iPhone 15 models launched on the same day as those manufactured in China, a major milestone for Apple and Foxconn’s Indian manufacturing.

Besides Apple, Foxconn makes products for other brands like Amazon, Google, and Sony. Google is reportedly partnering with Foxconn to make its Pixel phones in Tamil Nadu.

Foxconn’s China operations have also grappled with employee complaints in recent years. In November 2022, workers at its iPhone factory in Zhengzhou, China staged huge protests over late pay and COVID lockdowns.