Wistron’s India Unit May Be Acquired By Tata: Report

• ByStartupStory     |    November 30, 2022

According to sources familiar with the negotiations, the Tata Group is in talks to purchase Wistron Corp.‘s sole manufacturing site in India for up to 50 billion rupees ($612.6 million). According to a report from individuals close to Tata, if a deal to purchase the facility in the state of Karnataka in southern India cannot be reached, Tata may consider forming a joint venture with Taiwan’s Wistron, one of Apple Inc.’s top suppliers in India.

According to the report, Tata Electronics, a division of the salt to software conglomerate Tata Group, already provides parts to Apple from its Hosur facility in Tamil Nadu, which borders Karnataka.Reuters emailed Tata, Wistron, and Apple for comment, but none of them responded right away.

According to a September Bloomberg article, Tata and Wistron were discussing forming a joint venture to produce iPhones in India. At least three of Apple’s international suppliers currently assemble iPhones in India: Wistron in Karnataka, Foxconn (2317.TW), and Pegatron (4938.TW) in Tamil Nadu.

Apple, based in Cupertino, California, has placed a significant wager on India since it started assembling iPhones there in 2017 through Wistron and later with Foxconn, in keeping with the Indian government’s push for domestic manufacturing. By 2025, according to J.P. Morgan analysts, Apple may produce one out of every four iPhones in India as the tech giant shifts some of its production there due to rising geopolitical tensions and stringent COVID-19 lockdowns.

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