iPhone-maker Apple has sent a team to Tata Electronics’ plant in Tamil Nadu’s Hosur where a massive fire caused extensive damage, forcing the company to halt production ahead of the festival season sales, The Economic Times reported on October 3.
The Cupertino-based firm’s supplier responsibility team, which has been at the site since September 29, a day after the fire, is at the plant to “counsel and advise” and it’s a routine exercise in such cases, the report said.
The team has three officials and is likely to review the situation to provide support to iPhone’s only Indian vendor.
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Moneycontrol could not verify the report independently.
Early this week, Tata Electronics suspended production of iPhone 15 and 16 cases following a fire at one of its units in Hosur, though the Tata group firm said supplies would not be impacted as enough stocks was available for the next three months.
Fire engulfed a chemical godown of the electronics component factory in the early hours on September 28.
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"Apple and Tata Electronics officials have held meetings to review the situation. Tata Electronics has not given any timeline to resume production of iPhone cases. The production at the moment has been suspended indefinitely," a source aware of the development told PTI.
Tata Electronics is the first known Indian company that has been shortlisted by Apple for supply of iPhone components. It is the only Indian supplier of iPhone back panels and some other parts for both contract manufacturer Foxconn in the country and its own iPhone assembly at another plant, a Reuters report said.
The report citing industry watcher and a source claimed that Apple’s suppliers could be forced to arrange critical parts from China or elsewhere.
Hong Kong-based Counterpoint Research told Reuters it expected local sales of 1.5 million units of iPhone 14 and 15 models during the festival season, which runs from late October to early November, with Apple struggling to fulfil as much as 15 percent of that demand due to the fire.
With PTI inputs
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