A new Tata Electronics facility in Tamil Nadu has begun manufacturing iPhones, marking a major shift in Apple's production strategy away from China. The plant in Hosur recently started operations, focusing on assembling older iPhone models.
Adding to Apple's expanding Indian manufacturing footprint, Foxconn is set to launch production at its $2.6 billion facility in Bengaluru next month. The new plant will initially operate one assembly line, with plans to create 50,000 jobs when fully operational by late 2027.
Industry sources indicate the Tata facility can produce between 300-500 iPhone units per hour. The Bengaluru plant is expected to manufacture iPhone 16 and 16e models.
The production expansion comes as Apple accelerates its shift away from China amid rising US-China trade tensions. Recent data shows India currently accounts for about 18% of global iPhone production, while China maintains 75% of manufacturing volume.
Both Tata and Foxconn achieved record shipments in March, exporting approximately 600 tons of iPhones worth $2 billion to the United States. Foxconn contributed $1.3 billion of this total.
Apple aims to relocate most of its US-bound iPhone production to India by the end of 2026. The addition of these new facilities brings the total number of iPhone manufacturing plants in India to five between Tata and Foxconn.
Tata, though relatively new to Apple's supply chain, has quickly established itself as a key manufacturing partner in India. When contacted, Tata declined to comment on the development, while Apple and Foxconn did not immediately respond to requests for comment.