As Apple shifts focus beyond China, Tata Group expands its role to manage complex device repairs, marking a strategic move in the booming Indian smartphone market.
BENGALURU, June 5 (Reuters) – In a major expansion of their partnership, Apple has entrusted India’s Tata Group with handling after-sales repairs for iPhones and MacBooks in the rapidly growing Indian market. This move further cements Tata’s rising stature as a key player in Apple’s global supply chain, according to two people familiar with the development.
The decision is part of Apple’s broader push to reduce its manufacturing dependency on China and strengthen its foothold in India, the world’s second-largest smartphone market. Tata already assembles iPhones at three South Indian facilities—one of which also produces some components for Apple’s flagship devices.
As per the sources, Tata is taking over after-sales repair responsibilities from ICT Service Management Solutions, a local subsidiary of Taiwan-based Wistron. These services will now be conducted at Tata’s iPhone assembly plant in Karnataka. The transition from Wistron to Tata is underway, but both companies declined to comment on the development.
The growing demand for Apple repairs in India mirrors the brand’s rising market presence. According to Counterpoint Research, Apple sold around 11 million iPhones in India in 2023, capturing a 7% market share—up from a mere 1% in 2020.
Prabhu Ram, Vice President at CyberMedia Research, said, “Tata’s deepening partnership with Apple could also pave the groundwork for Apple directly selling refurbished devices in India, just as it currently does in the U.S.”
While Apple’s authorised service centres in India can perform basic fixes, complex repairs will now be routed to Tata’s state-of-the-art facility in Karnataka. Wistron’s ICT division will continue servicing other non-Apple clients, according to one of the sources.
This development also aligns with Apple’s strategy to pivot toward India amid global geopolitical uncertainty. With the threat of potential tariffs on Chinese imports under U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration, Apple is accelerating iPhone exports from India. CEO Tim Cook recently confirmed that most iPhones sold in the U.S. during the June quarter would be manufactured at Indian factories.
The evolving relationship between Apple and Tata signals a broader transformation in global tech manufacturing, with India increasingly becoming a hub for both production and servicing of high-end consumer electronics.