How worker deaths at Tata plant underline Apple’s India troubles

Three contract workers died on Monday (November 9) at a Tata Electronics factory in Tamil Nadu’s Hosur, which manufactures critical components for Apple’s iPhones, bringing renewed scrutiny on the safety and operational challenges facing the American technology giant’s rapidly expanding manufacturing ecosystem in India.

The deaths come at a time when Apple has successfully diversified a significant portion of its manufacturing away from China, with India now accounting for around a quarter of all iPhones produced globally. However, the expansion has not been without setbacks.

From fires and worker protests to allegations of environmental violations, employment discrimination and a major cybersecurity breach, Apple’s contract manufacturers have faced a series of challenges over the last few years.

The latest incident involved three workers carrying out maintenance work at an effluent treatment plant operated by Nalco Water, a subsidiary of US-based Ecolab, at Tata’s Hosur facility. The workers are said to have inhaled suspected toxic gases while inspecting a nano-filtration tank. The Tamil Nadu government has ordered an investigation, while Apple and Tata are also examining the incident.

This incident now raises questions about industrial safety standards at facilities that have become increasingly important to Apple’s global supply chain, particularly as India attempts to move beyond assembling finished smartphones to manufacturing sophisticated components.

How India became important for Apple

Apple began assembling iPhones in India in 2017, initially concentrating on older models. Its manufacturing operations have expanded substantially in recent years, driven by the company’s efforts to reduce its dependence on China amid growing geopolitical tensions and supply chain disruptions, and subsidies offered by the Indian government under its Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for smartphone manufacturing.

India now accounts for roughly 25% of global iPhone production, with its manufacturing ecosystem increasingly handling newer and more sophisticated models. Taiwan’s Foxconn and the Tata Group are Apple’s two principal manufacturing partners in India, with Tata accounting for around 40% of domestic iPhone assembly and Foxconn making up the remainder.

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Tata has emerged as an especially important player after acquiring the Indian operations of Taiwanese manufacturer Wistron in 2023, and subsequently taking control of the Indian iPhone manufacturing business of another manufacturer, named Pegatron.

Its Hosur operations are particularly important because they manufacture precision-engineered metal casings and back panels used in iPhones, representing an attempt to deepen local value addition rather than merely assemble devices using imported components.

Plenty of problems for Apple’s Indian supply chain partners

The workers’ deaths are the latest in a string of incidents involving Tata’s Hosur operations.

In June 2026, a ransomware attack on a Tata Electronics iPhone assembly facility in Hosur resulted in the leaking of more than 200,000 files on the dark web. The stolen information included confidential supplier details, component specifications and photographs relating to Apple’s then-unreleased iPhone 18 Pro.

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The breach was particularly concerning because Apple’s supply chain operates under strict confidentiality arrangements, with information about unreleased products, suppliers and component designs closely guarded. Following the incident, Tata restricted internal access to sensitive systems and engaged a global consultant to conduct a forensic investigation, Reuters reported.

Around the same time, Tata’s Hosur components facility also faced regulatory scrutiny over allegations of groundwater contamination.

The Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) warned the company that its factory could face closure over allegations that wastewater discharged from the facility had contaminated nearby agricultural land and wells. The regulator had conducted multiple inspections following complaints from local farmers.

However, Tata subsequently said the regulator had accepted its explanations and dropped further action. Disputing the regulator’s findings, the company said freshwater sample analyses had not indicated contamination and that the facility was compliant with applicable environmental standards.

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In 2024, Foxconn faced allegations that it had systematically excluded married women from assembly-line jobs at its iPhone factory in Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu. A Reuters investigation prompted scrutiny from the Union Labour Ministry and the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC). In January 2025, the NHRC criticised labour officials for inadequately investigating the allegations. However, a subsequent government investigation cleared Foxconn of wrongdoing.

Foxconn also instructed its recruitment agents to remove age, gender and marital-status criteria from job advertisements following the controversy.

Earlier, in September 2024, a major fire at Tata’s Hosur facility, reportedly originating in an area used to store chemicals, had forced the temporary suspension of iPhone component manufacturing. The incident was significant because the facility was then a crucial domestic supplier of iPhone back panels.

In September 2023, Pegatron temporarily suspended iPhone assembly at its Chennai facility following a fire. Earlier that year, another Apple supplier, Foxlink, which manufactured iPhone chargers, halted production at its Andhra Pradesh factory after a fire caused part of the building to collapse.

Worker unrest has also posed challenges.

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In December 2021, Foxconn’s factory near Chennai was shut for more than three weeks after around 250 workers fell ill, triggering protests over living conditions and food safety. Apple subsequently found that the facility did not meet its required standards.

In December 2020, workers at Wistron’s iPhone assembly plant in Karnataka’s Narsapura vandalised factory property during protests over alleged non-payment of wages. The violence caused substantial damage and forced the factory to shut for around three months.