Tata Group Set to Open New iPhone Assembly Plant in Tamil Nadu as Apple Expands in India
In a significant boost to the ‘Make in India’ initiative, the Tata Group is gearing up to open a new iPhone assembly plant in Hosur, Tamil Nadu. The facility is expected to become operational in the festive quarter of 2024 and will employ over 50,000 workers, primarily women.
Spread over 250 acres, the new plant will produce iPhones using components sourced from a unit that Tata Electronics established a few years ago. Tata is reportedly investing â¹6,000 crore in this facility, underscoring its commitment to bolstering India’s position as a global manufacturing hub.
Last year, Tata Group acquired Taiwanese electronics manufacturer Wistron’s India operations for $125 million, marking a significant step in its expansion into the electronics manufacturing space. With this acquisition, the iPhone contract manufacturers in India now include Foxconn, Tata, and Pegatron.
Reports first emerged in December 2022 that Tata was planning to build one of India’s largest iPhone assembly plants in Hosur. This move is part of a broader strategy by Apple to increase its production footprint in India, with a target to manufacture over 50 million iPhones in the country annually.
In addition to the new facility in Tamil Nadu, Tata also operates an iPhone manufacturing plant in Karnataka, which it purchased from Wistron. Apple’s shift towards increased manufacturing in India aligns with the company’s strategy to diversify its supply chain and reduce dependency on China.
Meanwhile, Apple has begun training thousands of workers at its Sriperumbudur factory, operated by Foxconn, to launch the latest iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max models in India shortly after the global debut this fall. Apple plans to make its ‘Make in India’ iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max models available in the country immediately after their global release.
The iPhone 16 series is expected to be available on the first day of global sales in India, replicating last year’s launch of the iPhone 15, which hit Indian markets on the same day as its global release.
Foxconn, a key Apple supplier worldwide, has invested $1.4 billion in India to date and plans further investments. The company’s business in India surged to $10 billion in the last fiscal year. Apple’s India operations also reached a value of $23.5 billion in FY24, reflecting the growing significance of the Indian market in the company’s global strategy.
