Ashwini Vaishnaw 'Thanks' Rahul Gandhi In Exchange Over iPhone-Makers Foxconn

Congress MP Rahul Gandhi praised the Karnataka government this week for facilitating the 'fastest factory ramp-up seen in India so far', referring to iPhone-maker Foxconn hiring nearly 30,000 staff – 80 per cent of whom were women – for its facility near Bengaluru in nine months.

But then Electronics and IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw snuck in with a cheeky X post to claim credit for the federal government and Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'Make in India' scheme.

"30,000 staff hired in just eight–nine months - the fastest factory ramp-up seen in India so far…" Rahul Gandhi said on Facebook Monday, sharing a screenshot of an Economic Times report.

"This is not just a statistic. It is transformative job creation. What makes it even more powerful is the unit is largely women-led, with around 80 per cent women, most aged 19–24… for many, this is their first job. Karnataka is setting an example by creating an ecosystem where manufacturing can grow at this scale and speed," he declared.

"This is the India we must build: jobs with dignity, and opportunities for all."

On Wednesday Vaishnaw responded.

"Thanks Rahul Gandhi, for acknowledging the success of PM Narendra Modi's 'Make in India' programme. As you have noted, we are becoming a producer economy as we implement our PM's vision," he said on, sharing a screenshot of Gandhi's message and the news report.

Thanks @RahulGandhi 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. pic.twitter.com/1K8kmE6s3t

— Ashwini Vaishnaw (@AshwiniVaishnaw) December 24, 2025

Taiwan-based Foxconn is a contract manufacturer of Apple devices, including the most recent iPhone 17, and is expected to lead a China-to-India shift in that company's production strategy.

Once fully operational it can make as many as 20 million iPhones a year.

In the past 12 months, iPhones worth $22 billion have been assembled in India, and the country now accounts for nearly 20 per cent of Apple's total iPhone production worldwide.