At the former Wistron facility in India, now owned by the local company Tata Electronics, a fire broke out over the weekend, and while an investigation is ongoing, resuming operations is currently not possible. This plant had already been producing iPhone casing components and other parts, with full smartphone assembly scheduled to begin by the end of the year.

The fire was reported to have started at 5:30 a.m. local time on Saturday, resulting in the collapse of the roof of one of the production buildings. According to local media, the fire began in a workshop responsible for painting iPhone accessories.

Due to the risk of volatile chemical emissions, management evacuated the shift of 523 workers. About ten people were injured and received medical attention, with two individuals hospitalized.

The chemical fumes hindered firefighters' ability to access the burning building in time, which could have minimized the damage. Safe conditions for investigating the site are expected to be established in the coming days. Notably, on the day of the fire, Tata Electronics management had announced plans to double the workforce at the Tamil Nadu plant, hiring an additional 20,000 employees.

Tata Electronics has become the first Indian company to produce iPhone components. Previously, this work was handled by Taiwan-based Foxconn, which also operates factories in India. However, Tata did not need to build the facility from scratch, as they acquired it from Wistron. By 2028, Indian authorities expect that one in every four iPhones worldwide will be manufactured in the country.