As iPhones roll off Tata’s Hosur lines, India steps up as a global manufacturing hub, with Tata assembling iPhones locally and reshaping Apple’s supply chain game.
Tata Electronics has started full-scale assembly of iPhones, including the upcoming iPhone 16, at its new unit in Hosur. This marks a milestone in the company’s effort to become a leading player in the global smartphone supply chain, traditionally led by Taiwanese manufacturers.
The company had previously been producing metal enclosures for iPhones at the Hosur facility. Assembly work was earlier carried out at the Wistron plant in Karnataka, which Tata Electronics took over.
Now, a new assembly unit at the Hosur campus is operational with two assembly lines, and plans are underway to increase this number to six. Each line is expected to employ over 2,500 workers due to the comprehensive nature of the assembly process.
Once operating at full capacity, the Hosur unit is projected to exceed the scale of the Wistron plant, signalling a significant expansion in Tata’s manufacturing capabilities. Tata Electronics has been quickly increasing its role in Apple’s supply chain, also acquiring the Indian operations of Pegatron to strengthen its position.
Industry analysts have stated that this will help the company to integrate more deeply into the electronics manufacturing ecosystem. It opens doors to wider collaboration with global supply chain partners and supports the goal of increasing value-added production in India.
For Apple, the development supports its broader strategy to reduce reliance on Chinese manufacturing by building a more diverse supply base. This shift allows for faster production geared towards both Indian and international markets.
In addition to assembly, Tata Electronics is significantly scaling up its enclosure manufacturing at Hosur. As of late 2024, the plant had reached a production capacity of around 50,000 enclosures and is working to double that output.
