Indian regulator alleges Tata iPhone parts plant polluted farmland water

NEW DELHI: An Indian pollution regulator has accused a Tata Electronics factory that makes components for Apple’s iPhones of contaminating groundwater used by nearby farms and has warned the company it could face a shutdown if it fails to give a satisfactory response.

The facility under scrutiny is located in Hosur in the southern state of Tamil Nadu and produces iPhone back panels and other parts. According to a warning notice dated May 25 reviewed by Reuters, landowners near the plant had for months complained to the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board that wastewater from the factory was affecting their farmland and open wells. Those complaints led to five inspections between December 2025 and May 2026.

The regulator said the inspections found that Tata had released wastewater into a rainwater harvesting pond inside the factory premises, and that the pond later overflowed. In the notice, the board said this had contaminated

groundwater in the open wells located in the adjacent agricultural lands

. The three-page notice also said Tata had not carried out corrective measures previously directed by the board in a December 23, 2025 letter.

The pollution control board asked Tata to explain why electricity to the unit should not be disconnected and why the plant should not be closed over the alleged violations. Tata Electronics told Reuters it had arranged an independent assessment through an accredited laboratory and that the study found the company was

in full compliance with all regulatory norms

. The company also said it was

committed to responsible business practices and protection of the environment and local communities

, adding that it had replied to the pollution authorities without giving further details.

Tata Electronics plays a key role in Apple’s effort to expand iPhone manufacturing outside China and is Apple’s second-largest supplier in South Asia after Taiwan’s Foxconn. Apple has strict rules for how suppliers manage wastewater, but neither Apple nor the Tamil Nadu government responded to Reuters requests for comment.

Part of wider scrutiny

The case comes amid broader regulatory action on industrial pollution in India. In 2024, Mercedes-Benz improved wastewater and air pollution controls at its only factory in the country after officials found gaps in compliance with environmental law. India’s environment ministry told parliament in February that 4.4% of 544,364 industries inspected over the past five years were found to be violating environmental standards, and that 3,600 had been shut by pollution control departments.

The notice also adds to earlier difficulties in Apple’s supply chain in India. A fire at Tata’s Hosur plant in September 2024 briefly disrupted iPhone component production, while a September 2023 fire at former supplier Pegatron’s iPhone factory halted production for several days. In 2024, a Reuters investigation also reported that Apple supplier Foxconn had systematically excluded married women from iPhone assembly jobs at one of its Indian plants, although the company said at the time that it complied with all laws.