In a notable political exchange, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Thursday expressed gratitude to Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi for his remarks highlighting the massive job creation at Foxconn's new facility in Karnataka. Vaishnaw framed Gandhi's comments as an acknowledgment of the success of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's flagship 'Make in India' programme.
Acknowledgment of Transformative Job Creation
Earlier, Rahul Gandhi had shared a media report detailing Foxconn's hiring spree. In a social media post, he pointed out that the Taiwanese electronics giant, Hon Hai Precision Industry Co (Foxconn), recruited close to 30,000 employees at its new iPhone assembly plant in Devanahalli, near Bengaluru. This feat was achieved in a remarkably short span of just eight to nine months, marking it as the fastest factory scale-up witnessed in India to date.
Gandhi emphasized that this was not merely a statistic but represented "transformative job creation." He particularly highlighted the gender-inclusive nature of this growth, noting that the unit is largely women-led. Approximately 80% of the workforce comprises women, most of whom are aged between 19 and 24, and for many, this is their first formal employment opportunity.
Political Credit and Vision for a Producer Economy
Responding to this, Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, who holds the portfolios of Railways, Communications, and Electronics & IT, thanked the Congress leader. "Thanks Rahul Gandhi for acknowledging the success of PM Shri @narendramodi Ji’s ‘Make in India’ programme," he stated. Vaishnaw further added, "As you have noted, we are becoming a producer economy as we implement our PM’s vision."
This interaction underscores the rare bipartisan recognition of a significant industrial achievement, even as political narratives diverge on crediting the underlying policy framework. Gandhi, in his original post, had praised Karnataka for setting an example by creating an ecosystem that allows manufacturing to grow at such scale and speed. "This is the India we must build: jobs with dignity, and opportunities for all," he had asserted.
The Foxconn Facility: A Benchmark for Indian Manufacturing
The report cited by Gandhi outlines the specifics of the Foxconn operation. The 300-acre facility near Bengaluru has achieved an unprecedented ramp-up. The demographic of the workforce is particularly striking, with young, first-time women employees forming the backbone of this rapid expansion. This development is seen as a major boost for the electronics manufacturing sector in India and aligns with the country's ambitions to become a global hub for production.
The exchange between the two leaders brings into focus the tangible outcomes of large-scale foreign investment in manufacturing. While the government sees it as a validation of its policies, the opposition highlights the model of employment generation as one that should be replicated nationwide to ensure dignified work for the youth.
