Tata To Double Its Hosur iPhone Unit Workforce

Tapping Apple’s ambition to ramp up manufacturing in India, salt-to-software conglomerate Tata Group is all set for its second iPhone assembly unit in India.

The new plant will be built in Tamil Nadu’s Hosur and is expected to go operational in November. On the hiring roadmap, Tata Sons’ chairman N Chandrasekaran said that Tata Electronics is set to hire more than 20,000 people at its new iPhone assembly plant in Hosur soon, bringing the total number of employees at the facility to 40,000.

As per Business Standard, Chandrasekaran was attending the groundbreaking ceremony of the Rs 9,000 crore manufacturing unit by Tata Motors and JLR in Panapakkam. 

“In the last three years, we have set up a modern electronics factory in Hosur, Krishnagiri. Currently, 20,000 people are employed there, and more than 15,000 of them are women. In another year, 40,000 people will be employed there, doubling the workforce in that facility,” he said.

Over the past three years, Tata Group has invested in three major manufacturing units in Tamil Nadu —Tata Power, Tata Electronics, and Tata Motors. The conglomerate currently employs over 150,000 people directly in the state across various subsidiaries.

Tata Electronics has been making enclosures for Apple at its Hosur facility. The company is rapidly expanding operations, setting up two new units and building dormitories for workers.

Chandrasekaran added that the new Tata Motors and JLR facility in Panapakkam will create 5,000 direct jobs and foster an ecosystem generating additional employment opportunities in the region. The Tamil Nadu government views this expansion as a boost to the local economy.

The development comes at a time when Apple is making an aggressive play to expand operations in India as it shifts its existing supply chain away from China. Now, 1 in 7 iPhones are manufactured in India with Apple also domestically sourcing components that go inside.

Further, Apple is said to be in advanced talks with Murugappa Group and Tata Group’s Titan to make iPhone camera modules in the country.

Additionally, the tech giant is also reportedly looking to begin manufacturing iPhone Pro and Pro Max models in India, starting with the iPhone 16 series as early as this fiscal year. 

Apart from iPhones, Apple is also considering manufacturing other flagship devices, iPads and AirPods in the country. 

And it looks like Apple’s India push is paying off, with the iPhone maker’s annual sales in India hitting nearly $8 Bn in the 12 months through March 2024.