As Apple shifts its focus away from China for manufacturing, Tata has quickly become a crucial supplier, already assembling iPhones for both domestic and international markets across three facilities in southern India, with one facility also producing some iPhone components.
In this latest partnership, Tata is assuming the repair responsibilities from an Indian division of Taiwan’s Wistron, ICT Service Management Solutions, and will conduct after-sales repairs at its iPhone assembly campus in Karnataka, the sources revealed.
The repair market in India, the world’s second-largest smartphone market, is set to grow significantly as iPhone sales soar. According to Counterpoint Research, around 11 million iPhones were sold in India last year, providing Apple with a 7% market share, compared to a mere 1% in 2020.
This latest contract award reflects Apple’s increasing trust in Tata as it aims to expand its business with the globe’s leading smartphone company.
“Tata’s strengthening partnership with Apple may also lay the foundation for Apple to sell refurbished devices in India directly, similar to its operations in the United States,” remarked Prabhu Ram, a vice president at Cybermedia Research.
The transition from ICT to Tata is currently in progress, as per the sources, who requested anonymity due to restrictions on speaking publicly about the matter.
Neither Apple nor Wistron responded to requests for comments, while a Tata representative also declined to comment.
While official Apple service centers in India can handle basic repairs, they will now forward phones and laptops to Tata’s facility for more intricate problems.
Wistron’s ICT will, however, continue to serve other clients apart from Apple, according to one of the sources.
Amid potential tariffs from US President Donald Trump on China, India is increasingly becoming a preferred hub for iPhone exports. Apple CEO Tim Cook has stated that a significant portion of iPhones sold in the United States during the June quarter will be produced in Indian factories.
