Apple may need to turn to China after Indian Tata plant fire, sources say By Reuters

By Munsif Vengattil

BENGALURU (Reuters) – In depth injury from a hearth at Tata Group’s Apple (NASDAQ:) iPhone element plant in southern India may hamper manufacturing forward of a festive season gross sales surge, an trade watcher and a supply mentioned, forcing the U.S. agency’s suppliers to rearrange vital elements from China or elsewhere.

The weekend blaze has induced an indefinite manufacturing halt at Tata’s Hosur plant in Tamil Nadu, the one Indian provider of iPhone again panels and another elements for each contract producer Foxconn within the nation and its personal iPhone meeting at one other plant.

Hong Kong-based Counterpoint Analysis instructed Reuters it estimates native gross sales of 1.5 million models of iPhone 14 and 15 fashions in the course of the Indian festive season which runs from late October to early November, with Apple struggling to fulfil as a lot as 15% of that demand because of the hearth.

“There shall be a 10-15% impression on manufacturing of older iPhone fashions from India. Apple may offset that impression by importing extra parts, and by re-routing extra export stock in the direction of India,” mentioned Neil Shah, a co-founder of Counterpoint, which has for years tracked Apple’s international shipments.

Other than native gross sales, Tata, one in every of India’s largest conglomerates, additionally exported iPhones to the Netherlands and United States in addition to some elements to China, price greater than $250 million general, within the yr to Aug. 31, commercially out there customs knowledge reveals.

Tata declined to remark.

Apple suppliers sometimes carry a three- to four-week inventory of again panels, Counterpoint mentioned. An trade supply with direct information of the matter estimated, nonetheless, that Apple was prone to have inventory for eight weeks, and due to this fact wouldn’t see an instantaneous impression.

Nonetheless, they added that if the manufacturing suspension continues, the U.S. firm may arrange one other meeting line in China or add shifts there to safe elements for India’s iPhone producers.

Provide chain disruptions extra usually have solid a shadow over Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s drive to draw overseas buyers to “Make in India”, particularly within the electronics sector.

Apple has been diversifying past China however final yr separate hearth incidents in India induced suppliers Foxlink and Pegatron to briefly halt operations, with authorities discovering a lot of the fireplace security tools at Foxlink’s facility was not practical. Contractors Wistron and Foxconn have additionally been hit by labour unrest in recent times.

“These are momentary setbacks,” mentioned Prabhu Ram, vp at Cybermedia Analysis. “Continued efforts to enhance security and operational requirements are essential for strengthening India’s place as an rising international electronics manufacturing hub.”

Tata is amongst Apple’s latest suppliers in India, which analysts estimate will contribute 20-25% of whole international iPhone shipments this yr, up from 12-14% final yr.

The hearth-hit plant employed 20,000 staff. One other unit in the identical Tata advanced was as a result of begin making full iPhones later this yr and it’s unclear if the incident will trigger this to be delayed.

Tata has one other iPhone plant close to Bengaluru, which it acquired from Wistron final yr, and a second one in Tamil Nadu close to Chennai, which it’s set to amass from Pegatron.