Tata Electronics iPhone Parts Factory Under Scrutiny Over Water Pollution Fears, Indian Officials Inspect Farmland
· Free Press Journal
Indian government officials have begun inspecting farmland surrounding a Tata Electronics factory that manufactures components for Apple's iPhone, following revelations that state authorities believe the plant has contaminated local groundwater, a fresh blow to Apple's ambitious effort to move iPhone production out of China.
The factory, located in Hosur, a manufacturing hub about 25 miles south of Bengaluru, produces back panels and other iPhone parts. It sits at the heart of Apple's India expansion strategy, making the allegations against it particularly sensitive.
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Tata's iPhone Plant In Tamil Nadu Faces Shutdown Over Wastewater AllegationsOfficials walk the fields
On Monday, a team of three district administration officials tasked with overseeing agricultural land concerns was seen surveying the fields directly behind the Tata facility, walking the land alongside farmers who have raised alarms about the smell and quality of water near their crops, Reuters reported.
"We are here to assess the situation," district official N. Velu reportedly said, offering no further detail on the scope or timeline of the review.
One farmer, P Pushparaj, told Reuters he had already filed a formal complaint with authorities after noticing that discharge from the factory appeared discolored and foul-smelling.
"We continued our agriculture, but we didn't get proper yields," Pushparaj said.
Apple Seeks To Diversify Chip Supply Chain Beyond TSMC, Seeks To Rope In Intel, SamsungWhat pollution authorities found
Authorities reportedly allege Tata discharged wastewater into a rainwater harvesting pond inside its facility, which then overflowed and contaminated groundwater in open wells on neighboring agricultural land. The pollution body warned Tata it faces a forced shutdown unless it provides a satisfactory explanation for what inspectors found.
Tata has pushed back on the findings. The company said its own independent checks determined it was operating within regulatory norms and described itself as "committed to responsible business practices and protection of the environment and local communities."
Apple Hits 30% Recycled Material Use, Cuts Emissions By 60%, Boosts India OutputA lengthening list of problems
The Hosur factory's troubles are the latest in a string of setbacks to hit Apple's Indian supply chain at a moment when the company is under enormous pressure to reduce its dependence on Chinese manufacturing.
In September 2024, a fire at the same Tata Hosur plant briefly halted iPhone component production. A separate blaze in September 2023 struck former Apple supplier Pegatron's iPhone plant, shutting down that facility for several days.
Labor practices have also drawn scrutiny. A 2024 Reuters investigation found that major Apple supplier Foxconn had systematically excluded married women from iPhone assembly roles at one of its Indian plants, a claim Foxconn denied, saying it complied with all applicable laws.
The stakes for Apple's India bet
Apple has made no secret of its desire to shift a significant share of iPhone production to India, driven partly by geopolitical tensions with China and partly by a push from the Indian government to attract high-value manufacturing. Tata Electronics, which also acquired Wistron's iPhone assembly operations in 2023, has emerged as a cornerstone of that strategy.
But a potential shutdown order hanging over a key component factory, combined with active government scrutiny and farmer complaints now on the record, underlines just how complex and fragile that supply chain transition remains.