After alleging that Apple supplier Tata contaminated farm water and threatening to close its iPhone factory, Indian regulators have now dropped the matter altogether.
Tata’s iPhone component production facility in Hosur, Tamil Nadu, India. Image Credit: Tata
Tata’s iPhone component production facility in Hosur, Tamil Nadu, India. Image Credit: Tata
As a result of Apple’s supply chain diversification plans, which aim to reduce reliance on China, a quarter of all iPhones sold worldwide are now made in India. Tata, which manufactures iPhone backplates, is a relevant factor in the process, but its production efforts have come under scrutiny.
In 2025, farmers near Tata’s facility in Tamil Nadu complained to authorities that factory wastewater was contaminating their land and open wells. After conducting five inspections from December 2025 through May 2026, the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) threatened to shut down Tata’s factory.