BENGALURU, India (Diya TV) — Apple Inc. is strengthening its presence in India by transferring after-sales service responsibilities for iPhones and MacBooks to the Tata Group, further cementing the Indian conglomerate’s growing role in the tech giant’s global operations.
According to an exclusive Reuters report citing two people familiar with the matter, Tata Electronics is taking over complex repair operations from ICT Service Management Solutions, the Indian arm of Taiwan’s Wistron Corp. The transition is already underway and will be anchored at Tata’s iPhone assembly facility in Karnataka.
The move not only expands Tata’s partnership with Apple but also reflects Apple’s growing reliance on India as a strategic hub for both manufacturing and services. Tata already assembles iPhones and manufactures select components across three plants in southern India, including in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, positioning itself as a key player in Apple’s efforts to diversify beyond China.
“Apple’s growing confidence in India is unmistakable,” said Prabhu Ram, head of the Industry Intelligence Group at CyberMedia Research. “This partnership with Tata could also pave the way for Apple to sell refurbished devices directly in India—something it already does in mature markets like the U.S.”
Apple has not officially commented on the service transition. Both Tata and Wistron also declined to issue statements to Reuters.
The shift marks a significant step in Apple’s broader localization strategy, which aims to align production, sales, and now repairs more closely within the Indian market. While authorized Apple service centers will continue to handle routine repairs, such as screen or battery replacements, more advanced diagnostics and hardware fixes, like motherboard replacements, will now be handled by Tata.
Wistron’s ICT unit will exit all Apple-related operations in India but will continue to serve other clients, the report said.
India has become increasingly important to Apple’s global ambitions. According to Counterpoint Research, Apple sold a record 11 million iPhones in India in 2023, boosting its market share to 7%—a sharp climb from just 1% in 2020. With India now the world’s second-largest smartphone market, demand for localized repair and support services has grown dramatically.
Apple’s local expansion has been gaining momentum on multiple fronts. In addition to ramping up iPhone exports from India, Apple opened its first two flagship retail stores in Mumbai and New Delhi in 2023, underscoring its long-term commitment to the market.
This localization push also reflects shifting geopolitical dynamics. With U.S.-China trade tensions intensifying and growing scrutiny over supply chain vulnerabilities, India has emerged as a preferred destination for global tech manufacturing. Under pressure from policymakers, including former U.S. President Donald Trump, companies like Apple have been urged to reduce their dependence on Chinese factories. Apple CEO Tim Cook has responded by carefully diversifying production across regions, including Vietnam and India.
The Tata Group’s increasing involvement across both production and services suggests Apple is laying the foundation for a fully integrated ecosystem within India. Analysts view this as a critical step if Apple wants to scale its footprint in the country’s rapidly expanding middle-class consumer base.
