"Apple seeks changes in India labor laws in push to diversify beyond China", 21 March 2023

Apple Inc. is seeking changes in India’s labor laws as part of its effort to expand local production, and regional governments are yielding to its request as they are eager to snatch iPhone assembly from China.

India’s southern Tamil Nadu state, where Apple’s top supplier Foxconn Technology Group operates India’s largest iPhone plant, is considering passing new rules that will make factory shifts more flexible, people familiar with the matter said.

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The planned changes would bring local working hours on par with the iPhone factories in China, they said.

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Representatives for Apple, Foxconn and the Tamil Nadu government didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment. Pegatron and Wistron representatives declined to comment.

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The suggested changes include allowing factories to operate two shifts of 12 hours each, instead of the previous three shifts that each went on for eight hours... The envisioned changes could also encourage more women to work in factories. By having more flexible shifts, women could avoid commuting on night buses — often seen as an unsafe option. Apple and its suppliers are also in talks to build large working women’s hostels in and around factory complexes, which would reduce travel time