Three workers die at Tata’s iPhone parts plant in India’s Tamil Nadu | News
Three Workers Die at Tata Electronics Plant in Tamil Nadu
Three contract workers died at a Tata Electronics facility in Hosur, Tamil Nadu, while performing maintenance on an effluent treatment plant, authorities reported. This incident is the latest in a series of challenges faced by Apple’s supply chain in India, its most significant manufacturing hub outside China.
The fatalities occurred late Monday, according to Dinesh Kumar, a senior district official. The workers were inspecting an external nano-filtration tank when they inhaled gas, leading to their immediate hospitalization, where they were pronounced dead upon arrival.
Kumar provided details to The New Indian Express, underscoring the circumstances surrounding the workers’ deaths.
Tata Electronics, part of the Tata Group, is responsible for roughly 40 percent of iPhone assembly in India, while Foxconn constitutes the remainder. Recent months have seen Tata struggle with a ransomware attack and water pollution concerns that have further complicated its operations.
As Apple has expanded its manufacturing capabilities beyond China, India has increasingly become a strategic manufacturing hub, currently accounting for approximately 25 percent of global iPhone production.
Tamil Nadu is recognized as a crucial industrial center, hosting numerous factories for global companies, including Foxconn, Hyundai, and BMW. In light of the tragic incident, state Industries Minister Virudhai Magal Keerthana announced on X that the deaths would undergo a thorough investigation, with appropriate actions to follow based on the findings.
Tata’s facility in Hosur has faced multiple challenges over recent years. Notably, production was halted in 2024 due to a fire, and earlier this year, state authorities warned of a potential shutdown over groundwater contamination before ultimately re-evaluating the situation. Additionally, a ransomware attack at a nearby iPhone plant previously exposed documents related to the unreleased iPhone 18 Pro, reported Reuters.
