New Delhi, March 16 (NationPress) Women have become significant beneficiaries of the government’s ‘Make in India’ initiative, which has led to substantial job creation in the electronics manufacturing sector, Union Electronics and IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw stated on Monday.

The minister revealed that over 100,000 women are currently working in iPhone production facilities across India, and female employees are also playing vital roles in complex semiconductor manufacturing plants.

On the social media platform X, the minister emphasized that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Make in India’ initiative is empowering women by opening new job opportunities in the electronics manufacturing industry.

“PM @narendramodi Ji’s initiative is empowering women. The electronics sector is creating new job prospects for women,” Vaishnaw noted.

According to him, more than half of the workforce in numerous electronics manufacturing facilities nationwide consists of women.

Previously, in February, Vaishnaw highlighted that women are the primary beneficiaries of the ‘Make in India’ initiative, which has resulted in the creation of millions of direct and indirect jobs while also offering extensive skilling opportunities.

Furthermore, the Apple ecosystem alone has generated approximately 250,000 direct jobs in India, with nearly 70% of the beneficiaries being women.

The US tech giant Apple has greatly expanded its manufacturing presence in India.

Reports indicate that the company has increased iPhone production in the country by about 53% in 2025, assembling close to 55 million units compared to 36 million units in the previous year.

Currently, Apple manufactures around 25% of its flagship iPhones in India as part of its strategy to diversify manufacturing and mitigate tariffs on China.

Globally, Apple produces about 220–230 million iPhones annually, with India’s share steadily increasing, largely spurred by the government’s production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme.

The subsidies provided under the PLI scheme have helped mitigate structural disadvantages, such as weaker supply chains and logistics challenges compared to China.

Older models, including the iPhone 15 and iPhone 16, continue to be manufactured locally for both domestic sales and exports.

In 2025, iPhones became the most valuable export item from India, with shipments valued at around $23 billion, primarily aimed at the United States, according to industry data.

For the first time, smartphones emerged as India’s top export category, with exports totaling $30.13 billion during the January–December period, with Apple accounting for about 76% of that figure.