Major Fire at Tata Electronics iPhone Plant Near Hosur, All Staff Safe

A major fire broke out at a chemical storage area of the Tata Electronics manufacturing plant near Hosur, Tamil Nadu, where components for iPhones are assembled. The incident was first reported early on Saturday morning. According to local and national media, multiple fire trucks from Hosur and neighbouring districts were at the site for over 12 hours, and eventually managed to extinguish the blaze. Videos posted to social media show thick plumes of smoke billowing from the site. 

All staff on duty at the time have been accounted for, according to a statement made by Tata Electronics to PTI and quoted by the Times of India. However, a small number of workers have been admitted to a local hospital due to smoke inhalation. Operations at the facility have been disrupted and the extent of the damage is not yet clear. Typically, damage would not be able to be assessed and operations would not be able to resume until the local fire department has declared the affected area safe for people to re-enter. 

Tata Electronics recently became a major supplier of iPhone components, and is reportedly building a new assembly plant at the same site. Part of the Tata conglomerate, which has interests in everything from food and fashion to automobiles and steel, Tata Electronics announced plans to set up multiple semiconductor manufacturing and testing facilities in the country earlier this year. It has become a key player in Apple’s plans to diversify product manufacturing away from China. 

The company acquired Wistron’s former India operations in late 2023 and was reportedly in talks this year to acquire Pegatron’s facilities as well, which would make it a significant contributor to Apple’s iPhone production capacity for the Indian market as well as for global exports. Assembly and manufacturing operations for other Apple products including AirPods, MacBooks and iPads are also reportedly being moved to India in stages. The just-launched iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max are Apple's first flagship iPhones to be made in India.

In related news, Tata Motors broke ground on a next-gen automobile manufacturing plant near Hosur on Saturday, for its own vehicles and its Jaguar Land Rover subsidiary.