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Time of India
13 hours ago
- Business
- Time of India
Foxconn looks to set up new Tamil Nadu unit to make iPhone enclosures
Taiwan's Foxconn is eyeing manufacturing iPhone enclosures in India and is looking at setting up a new unit within the ESR Industrial Park at Oragadam in Tamil Nadu for this purpose, people aware of the developments told ET. This would mark the Taiwanese contract manufacturer's foray into making enclosures in India, something that only Tata Electronics has been doing so far locally. Until now, Foxconn has focused on iPhone assemblies in India, harnessing its Sriperumbudur facility. ETtech by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like An engineer reveals: 1 simple trick to get all TV channels Techno Mag Learn More Undo However, the company is rapidly expanding the scope of work through its upcoming plant in Devanahalli, near Bengaluru. In addition to iPhone assembly, Foxconn also has a new unit in Hyderabad that is assembling AirPods. "Foxconn plans to start making enclosures in Tamil Nadu as they deepen their footprint in the country," one person cited above said. "Construction has begun for their enclosures unit at the industrial park. This will be a separate unit close to their upcoming display module assembly plant which is in advanced stages in the same industrial park." Live Events ETtech Discover the stories of your interest Blockchain 5 Stories Cyber-safety 7 Stories Fintech 9 Stories E-comm 9 Stories ML 8 Stories Edtech 6 Stories Analysts said Foxconn's entry into this space shows that Apple is looking to diversify its suppliers in India, much like in China where it has multiple vendors for different components. "This aligns well with Apple's broader strategy to derisk and diversify its supply chain," said Prabhu Ram, vice president, industry research group, CyberMedia Research. "As India emerges as a lynchpin in Apple's growth momentum — with early signs of an end-to-end manufacturing ecosystem taking shape — it is a natural progression for Foxconn to expand its capabilities and geographic presence by manufacturing enclosures." Queries sent to Foxconn and Apple remained unanswered as of press time Thursday. Sourcing depth Neil Shah, vice president, Counterpoint Research, also said Apple globally sources enclosures from multiple players and Foxconn is one of them. Hence, it was natural for Foxconn to diversify the production in India, Shah said. "This gives Apple more leverage and also provides Foxconn with ease of integration and boosts value addition," he said. "This improves supply chain effectiveness for Foxconn as well as Apple." He added that it was difficult to quantify value addition individually but for Apple specifically, Foxconn's value addition would be under 10%. Further, he said enclosures constitute a small percentage of Apple's Bill of Materials (BoM), roughly about 2–3%. So Foxconn's foray into enclosures will not significantly add to their value addition in percentage terms. It is, however, a significant move as Apple gradually increases its manufacturing presence in India. ET was the first to report on September 25 last year that Foxconn was looking to set up an assembly unit for smartphone display modules in Tamil Nadu, making it the first such facility catering to Apple. Later, on October 8, the Tamil Nadu cabinet cleared a Rs 13,180 crore investment by Yuzhan Technology (India), which is a unit of Foxconn. Sources had said at the time that Foxconn had picked up about 500,000 square feet at a plug and play facility at the ESR Oragadam Industrial & Logistics Park, which is right next to their smartphone assembly unit near Chennai. They added that the maker of the iconic iPhone is leaning in for a model wherein even other contract manufacturers — Pegatron or Tata Electronics, for instance — can use components from this unit rather than import modules that are assembled in China. On May 19, Foxconn said it was investing an additional $1.5 billion (about Rs 12,800 crore) in this unit via a London Stock Exchange filing. All of this expansion news comes on the back of Apple CEO Tim Cook's recent statements that India will become the primary manufacturing hub for iPhones sold in the US. "For the June quarter, we do expect the majority of iPhones sold in the US will have India as their country of origin," Cook said during Apple's Q1 earnings call on May 1. Tariff tribulations US President Donald Trump, however, has not taken kindly to Apple expanding its presence in the country and even threatened to have the company pay a 25% tariff if phones sold in the US were not made in the US on May 23. This tariff threat came a week after he said he had told Apple CEO Tim Cook not to build in India. "I have long ago informed Tim Cook of Apple that I expect their iPhones that will be sold in the United States of America will be manufactured and built in the United States, not India, or anyplace else. If that is not the case, a tariff of at least 25% must be paid by Apple to the US,' Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social. Foxconn plans for expansion, however, continue. The company has a huge factory coming up in Bengaluru and has a new unit in Hyderabad that is targeting AirPods — showing that the company is broadening its portfolio and venturing into other areas of production in India. ET had reported on March 30 that Foxconn is targeting producing 25-30 million iPhones out of their India facilities, which is more than double their production number from last year, as per sources.
Time of India
06-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Apple gives Tata India iPhone repair business as partnership expands
HighlightsApple has partnered with Tata Group to manage repairs for iPhones and MacBook devices in India, indicating Tata's expanding role in Apple's supply chain. Tata Group is taking over the after-sales repair mandate from an Indian unit of Taiwan's Wistron, specifically ICT Service Management Solutions. With iPhone sales rising rapidly in India, Apple may explore selling refurbished devices directly in the country, similar to its operations in the United States. Apple has brought in Tata Group to handle repairs for iPhones and MacBook devices in its fast-growing Indian market, signalling the Indian conglomerate's deepening role in the US tech giant's supply chain, two people familiar with the matter said. As Apple looks beyond China for manufacturing, Tata has fast emerged as its key supplier and already assembles iPhone s for local and foreign markets at three facilities in south India, with one of them also making some iPhone components. In its latest partnership expansion, Tata is taking over the mandate from an Indian unit of Taiwan's Wistron, ICT Service Management Solutions, and will carry out such after-sales repairs from its Karnataka iPhone assembly campus, both sources said. The market for repairs is only going to boom in India, the world's second-biggest smartphone market, as iPhone sales skyrocket. Counterpoint Research estimates around 11 million iPhones were sold in India last year, giving Apple a 7% market share, compared to just 1% in 2020. The latest contract award signals Apple's growing confidence on Tata as it hopes to win more business from the world's most valuable smartphone company. "Tata's deepening partnership with Apple could also pave the groundwork for Apple directly selling refurbished devices in India, like how it does in the United States currently," said Prabhu Ram, a vice president at Cybermedia Research. The takeover from ICT by Tata is currently ongoing, both sources said, who declined to be named as they were not authorized to speak on the matter. Apple and Wistron did not respond to requests for comment, while a spokesperson for Tata declined to comment. While Apple's official service centres across India can do basic repairs, they would now ship phones and laptops to Tata's facility for more complex issues. Wistron's ICT however will continue to service other clients excluding Apple, one of the sources said. Amid an impending threat of US President Donald Trump's tariffs on China, India is also emerging as a favoured destination for iPhone exports. Apple CEO Tim Cook has said the bulk of iPhones sold in the United States during June quarter will be made at factories in India.
The Hindu
06-06-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Apple gives Tata India iPhone repair business as partnership expands
Apple has brought in Tata Group to handle repairs for iPhones and MacBook devices in its fast-growing Indian market, signalling the Indian conglomerate's deepening role in the U.S. tech giant's supply chain, two people familiar with the matter said. As Apple looks beyond China for manufacturing, Tata has fast emerged as its key supplier and already assembles iPhones for local and foreign markets at three facilities in south India, with one of them also making some iPhone components. In its latest partnership expansion, Tata is taking over the mandate from an Indian unit of Taiwan's Wistron, ICT Service Management Solutions, and will carry out such after-sales repairs from its Karnataka iPhone assembly campus, both sources said. The market for repairs is only going to boom in India, the world's second-biggest smartphone market, as iPhone sales skyrocket. Counterpoint Research estimates around 11 million iPhones were sold in India last year, giving Apple a 7% market share, compared to just 1% in 2020. The latest contract award signals Apple's growing confidence on Tata as it hopes to win more business from the world's most valuable smartphone company. "Tata's deepening partnership with Apple could also pave the groundwork for Apple directly selling refurbished devices in India, like how it does in the United States currently," said Prabhu Ram, a vice president at Cybermedia Research. The takeover from ICT by Tata is currently ongoing, both sources said, who declined to be named as they were not authorized to speak on the matter. Apple and Wistron did not respond to requests for comment, while a spokesperson for Tata declined to comment. While Apple's official service centres across India can do basic repairs, they would now ship phones and laptops to Tata's facility for more complex issues. Wistron's ICT however will continue to service other clients excluding Apple, one of the sources said. Amid an impending threat of U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs on China, India is also emerging as a favoured destination for iPhone exports. Apple CEO Tim Cook has said the bulk of iPhones sold in the United States during June quarter will be made at factories in India.
Hindustan Times
06-06-2025
- Business
- Hindustan Times
Apple taps Tata for iPhone and MacBook repairs in India
Apple has officially partnered with India's Tata Group to handle iPhone and MacBook repairs in the country, Reuters reported this week, a significant shift that underlines India's rising importance in Apple's global strategy. Tata will now take over after-sales repair operations from Wistron's Indian subsidiary, ICT Service Management Solutions. The repairs, including advanced tasks like motherboard fixes and screen replacements, will be centralised at Tata's Karnataka campus. This is the same facility that already assembles iPhones for both domestic consumption and export. While Apple's authorised service centres across India will continue to handle standard repairs, more complex cases will now be routed through Tata's site. This move not only streamlines service delivery but further embeds Tata as a key player in Apple's India operations. Tata already operates three Apple-related facilities in southern India and is reportedly the first Indian company to take on full-scale iPhone assembly. Now, with repairs added to the portfolio, the company is extending its control across more of the iPhone lifecycle, from manufacturing to servicing. Apple's expanding relationship with Tata comes amid growing efforts to reduce reliance on China for both manufacturing and logistics. With tensions between the US and China continuing to simmer, India has emerged as a more geopolitically stable and cost-effective partner. Apple shipped a record 11 million iPhones in India in 2024, growing from a mere 1% market share in 2020 to around 7% today, according to Counterpoint Research. The company is also on track to open its third retail store in Bengaluru's Phoenix Mall of Asia, a clear sign of rising consumer demand. This growing installed base naturally demands stronger service and repair infrastructure, which the Tata partnership appears poised to deliver. Industry watchers believe the move could signal more than just a service overhaul. According to Prabhu Ram of CyberMedia Research, 'Tata's deepening partnership with Apple could also pave the groundwork for Apple directly selling refurbished devices in India, like how it does in the United States.' Apple has yet to officially confirm plans for refurbished sales or comment on the repair transition. But with Tata now managing both production and post-sale support, the groundwork is clearly being laid for a more integrated, and potentially circular, Apple ecosystem in India.
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First Post
05-06-2025
- Business
- First Post
Looking to diversify from China, Apple gives Tata India iPhone repair business: Report
The market for repairs in India is expected to grow significantly as iPhone sales soar. The latest contract award demonstrates Apple's growing confidence in Tata as it establishes a foothold in a key market read more Apple has engaged Tata Group to manage repairs for iPhones and MacBook devices in the rapidly expanding Indian market. The move signals the Indian conglomerate's increasing role in the Apple's supply chain, Reuters cited two individuals familiar with the matter as saying. Tata takes on key role as Apple looks beyond China With Apple seeking partners beyond China for manufacturing, Tata has swiftly become a key supplier, already assembling iPhones for both local and foreign markets at three facilities in southern India, one of which also produces some iPhone components. In this latest partnership expansion, Tata is taking over the responsibility from an Indian unit of Taiwan's Wistron, ICT Service Management Solutions, and will handle after-sales repairs from its Karnataka iPhone assembly campus, both sources revealed. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The market for repairs in India is expected to grow significantly as iPhone sales soar. Counterpoint Research estimates that around 11 million iPhones were sold in India last year, giving Apple a 7 per cent market share, up from just 1 per cent in 2020. The latest contract award demonstrates Apple's growing confidence in Tata as it aims to secure more business from the world's most valuable smartphone company. Prabhu Ram, a vice president at Cybermedia Research, noted that Tata's deepening partnership with Apple could lay the groundwork for the US tech giant to sell refurbished devices directly in India, similar to its operations in the United States. The transition of responsibilities from ICT to Tata is currently underway, according to both sources. While Apple's official service centers across India can handle basic repairs, more complex issues will now be shipped to Tata's facility. However, Wistron's ICT will continue to service other clients excluding Apple, one of the sources mentioned. Amid the potential threat of US President Donald Trump's tariffs on China, India is also emerging as a favoured destination for iPhone exports. Apple CEO Tim Cook has stated that the majority of iPhones sold in the United States during the June quarter will be manufactured at factories in India. With inputs from Reuters STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
