The @TataCompanies is set to make India’s first homegrown iPhone after Wistron Corp approved the sale of an assembly plant near Bengaluru. Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar has announced that manufacturing will commence within two and a half years. This is a significant development, as it marks the first time an Indian company will be involved in assembling iPhones.
Taiwanese companies, including Foxconn, Wistron, and Pegatron, have been manufacturing iPhones in India since 2016. Wistron’s Indian operations will now be taken over by the Tata Group. The deal, valued at $125 million, has received board approval from both companies, and they will seek regulatory approvals to finalize the transaction.
PM @narendramodi Ji's visionary PLI scheme has already propelled India into becoming a trusted & major hub for smartphone manufacturing and exports.
— Rajeev Chandrasekhar 🇮🇳 (@Rajeev_GoI) October 27, 2023
Now within just two and a half years, @TataCompanies will now start making iPhones from India for domestic and global markets from… pic.twitter.com/kLryhY7pvL
TATA’S Takeover of Wistron
Earlier reports had hinted at Tata’s takeover of Wistron’s Indian operations, and this has now been formally verified by India’s IT Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar. As part of their arrangement, Tata is anticipated to uphold multiple commitments related to manufacturing and employment originally made by Wistron. These commitments encompass shipping iPhones valued at a minimum of $1.8 billion from the factory during the fiscal year until March 2024, to secure financial incentives supported by the state. Wistron had also outlined its intentions to triple the workforce at the plant within the coming year. Currently, the facility employs over 10,000 individuals involved in the assembly of the latest iPhone 14 model.
This move signifies a significant step in India’s role within Apple’s global supply chain, with Indian companies now taking the lead in iPhone assembly.
