Tata Group is in talks to buy Wistron
Corp's only manufacturing facility in India for up to 50 billion rupees ($612.6
million), the Economic Times business daily reported Wednesday, citing people
familiar with the discussions.
If it fails to strike a deal to buy the
facility in the southern Indian state of Karnataka, Tata could consider a joint
venture with Taiwan's Wistron – one of Apple Inc's top vendors in India – the
report said, citing sources close to Tata.
Tata Electronics, a unit of
salt-to-software conglomerate Tata Group, already supplies components to Apple
from its Hosur unit in Tamil Nadu, which neighbours Karnataka, according to the
report.
Tata, Wistron and Apple did not immediately
respond to Reuters' e-mailed requests for comment.
Bloomberg had reported in September that
Tata was in talks with Wistron to establish a joint venture to assemble iPhones
in India.
Currently, iPhones are assembled in India
by at least three of Apple's global suppliers – Wistron in Karnataka, as well
as Foxconn and Pegatron in Tamil Nadu.
Cupertino, California-headquartered Apple
has bet big on India since it began iPhone assembly in the country in 2017 via
Wistron and later with Foxconn, in line with the Indian government's push for
local manufacturing.
J.P.Morgan analysts estimate Apple may make
one out of four iPhones in India by 2025 as the tech giant moves some
production away from China, amid mounting geopolitical tensions and strict
COVID-19 lockdowns in the country.