Tata Electronics To Expand Hosur iPhone Manufacturing Unit To 2 Times Of Current Size: Report

Tata Electronics is looking to expand the Hosur manufacturing facility for iPhones to two times of the current size.

India's biggest conglomerate, Tata Group's subsidiary Tata Electronics which recently made headlines for finalising a Share Purchase Agreement (SPA) to obtain 100 per cent ownership of Wistron InfoComm Manufacturing (India) Private Limited (WMMI) to manufacture iPhone models in India, is mulling to expand the iPhone-casing manufacturing unit in Hosur, in Tamil Nadu, the media has reported.

Says a report by Economic Times, citing mutiple sources, Tata Electronics is looking to expand the Hosur manufacturing facility to two times of the current size. Spanning 500 acres and with a workforce exceeding 15,000 individuals, this expansion is expected to boost employment, potentially reaching a range of 25,000 to 28,000 workers. The initial investment for the Hosur facility amounted to Rs 5,000 crore.

Tata Electronics intends to expand its efficiency in high-end electronics manufacturing by utilising its recently acquired iPhone assembly facility. This strategic move is said to expedite the company's path to growth.

While the new unit is likely ro manufacture Apple iPhone components, there is a pssibility it is used to make components for high-end devices of other smartphone brands.

"The new facility could be entirely for Apple phone components, but I would not rule out the possibility of it being used to manufacture components for other high-end phones of other companies as well," the report added, citing a source.

Notably, Tata Group would manufacture Apple iPhones in the country for domestic and international markets, Minister of State (MoS) IT Rajeev Chandrasekhar had previosuly said. The MoS IT also congratulated Tata Group for taking over the operations of Wistron's unit. With this, Tata Group will become the first homegrown iPhone maker.

In a first, India-assembled vanilla iPhone 15 and 15 Plus models started retailing in the country on September 22, which was the day of launch.

Apple has been assembling iPhone models in India along with its contract manufacturers Foxconn, Pegatron and Wistron (which has been taken over by homegrown Tata Group). Apple is said to have shifted 7 per cent of search iPhone assembling in India. The new iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plusmodels are being manufactured by Apple's contract manufacturer Foxconn's production unit near southern Indian Chennai.