Rahul Gandhi cheers Foxconn jobs in Congress-ruled Karnataka, BJP says credit goes to PM Modi
What began as praise from Congress for a rapid burst of job creation in Karnataka quickly turned into a BJP vs GoP face-off, with the saffron party stepping in to claim ownership of the success.
Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi hailed what he described as “transformative job creation” at Foxconn’s new facility in Karnataka, pointing to the speed and scale at which employment has been generated.
His remarks, however, drew a pointed response from Union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, who thanked Gandhi for what he said was an acknowledgement of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s flagship ‘Make in India’ programme.
“Thanks Rahul Gandhi for acknowledging the success of PM Shri @narendramodi Ji’s ‘Make in India’ programme. As you have noted, we are becoming a producer economy as we implement our PM’s vision,” Vaishnaw said.
Gandhi’s comments were based on a media report titled ‘Foxconn hires 30k staff at new, women-led unit’, which highlighted the pace at which the Taiwanese electronics major has scaled up its workforce at its new iPhone assembly plant near Bengaluru.
“30,000 staff hired in just eight-nine months, the fastest factory ramp-up seen in India so far. This is not just a statistic. It is transformative job creation,” Gandhi said in his post.
He underlined the gender profile of the workforce, noting, “What makes it even more powerful is that the unit is largely women-led, with around 80% women, most aged 19–24, and for many, this is their first job.”
The Congress leader also credited the state’s industrial ecosystem, saying, “Karnataka is setting an example by creating an ecosystem where manufacturing can grow at this scale and speed. This is the India we must build: jobs with dignity, and opportunities for all.”
Foxconn, formally known as Hon Hai Precision Industry Co, has recruited close to 30,000 employees at its 300-acre facility in Devanahalli, near Bengaluru, within just eight to nine months — a ramp-up described as the fastest seen in India so far.
According to the report cited by Gandhi, around 80% of the workforce at the facility comprises women, most of whom are first-time job entrants aged between 19 and 24.
