Apple assigns Tata to handle iPhone and MacBook repairs in India

• Partnership potentially sets the stage for Apple to explore new business models in India, including the sale of refurbished devices—a practice that Apple already employs in the US.

Apple’s strategic collaboration with the Tata Group in India marks a significant development in the global technology supply chain landscape and heralds a new phase in the company’s expansion within one of the world’s fastest-growing smartphone markets.

Sources told Reuters that Apple has assigned Tata the responsibility for handling repairs of its iPhones and MacBook devices, a move that not only strengthens Tata’s role within Apple’s manufacturing ecosystem but also underscores Apple’s confidence in Tata as a pivotal partner beyond mere assembly operations.

India’s emergence as a critical hub for Apple is evident from the company’s expanding footprint in the subcontinent. Tata currently operates three assembly plants in southern India that produce iPhones for both domestic consumption and export to foreign markets.

One of these facilities even manufactures certain components for Apple devices, illustrating a deep integration into Apple’s supply chain. The transition of after-sales repair services from ICT Service Management Solutions, an Indian unit of Taiwan’s Wistron, to Tata’s Karnataka-based plant is a natural extension of this growing relationship.

Enhancing customer experience

The development will enable more sophisticated repairs to be managed locally at Tata’s facilities, while Apple’s official service centers continue to handle basic repairs.

The strategic significance of this move extends beyond operational efficiencies. India, ranked as the world’s second-largest smartphone market, is witnessing an unprecedented increase in iPhone sales.

The growth reflects Apple’s intensifying efforts to make inroads in a market where its share was barely one per cent just a few years ago. With the after-sales repair segment poised for rapid expansion in tandem with rising device penetration, Tata’s stewardship over repairs signals Apple’s commitment to enhancing customer experience and service quality in the region.

Growing strategic importance

Moreover, this partnership potentially sets the stage for Apple to explore new business models in India, including the sale of refurbished devices—a practice that Apple already employs in the United States.

Offering refurbished products could cater to a broader consumer base in India, where price sensitivity remains significant, and thus bolster Apple’s competitive position against a variety of domestic and international rivals.

Beyond commercial considerations, the shift also aligns with broader geopolitical and economic dynamics. In the context of rising trade tensions and tariff threats, particularly from the United States administration under President Donald Trump targeting Chinese imports,

India has gained prominence as a preferred locale for Apple’s manufacturing activities. CEO Tim Cook has notably indicated that a majority of iPhones sold in the US during the recent quarter were manufactured in India, highlighting the country’s growing strategic importance in Apple’s global supply chain diversification efforts.