Tata to Manage iPhone and MacBook Repairs in India for Apple

• Tata will now handle complex iPhone and MacBook repairs in India, replacing Wistron’s ICT unit.
• Apple is deepening ties with Tata to reduce reliance on China, with iPhones already assembled at three Tata-run plants.
• India’s growing iPhone sales are driving repair demand, and the move may lead to Apple selling refurbished devices locally.

To extend their partnership and strengthen Tata’s role in the global Apple supply chain, the Indian arm of the Tata Group has been appointed to undertake iPhone and MacBook repairs, according to sources cited by Reuters.

As Apple intends to diversify manufacturing outside China, Tata has now become a vital partner, already assembling iPhones at three different facilities in southern India, with one facility also assembling components.

Tata has now been entrusted with the role of after-sale repair services in India, supplanting the local Wistron unit, ICT Service Management Solutions. Repairs will be executed at the iPhone assembly plant located in Karnataka, run by Tata.

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With growing iPhone sales in India—the world’s second-largest smartphone market—with sales reaching around 11 million units in the year 2023, and Apple’s market share increasing from 1% in 2020 to 7% last year, according to Counterpoint Research, the growth in sales is triggering growth in device repair.

The changing of service providers from ICT to Tata is already under way, and Wistron will continue to service non-Apple clients. Apple official service centers will continue to take care of very basic repairs, but from now on more complex repairs to iPhones and MacBooks will begin being sent to the facility managed by Tata in Karnataka.

This decision aligns with Apple’s strategy to boost iPhone exports from India and reduce its dependency on China. CEO Tim Cook recently noted that the vast majority of iPhones sold in the U.S. this quarter would be made in India.

Prabhu Ram, Vice President at Cybermedia Research said, "This partnership signals Apple’s growing confidence in Tata. It could also lay the foundation for Apple to begin selling refurbished devices in India, similar to its model in the U.S".