After alleging that Apple supplier Tata contaminated farm water and threatening to close its iPhone factory, Indian regulators have now dropped the matter altogether.
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.
On Tuesday, however, the regulator seemingly backpedaled. In a statement to Reuters, Tata explained that it had addressed all contamination concerns and that its facility in Tamil Nadu was no longer under TNPCB scrutiny.
As the company “satisfactorily addressed all queries” made by the Tamil Nadu regulator, it has now “dropped any further course of action on this issue.” Neither Apple nor the TNPCB commented on the matter, though.
Initially, the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board argued that “groundwater in the open wells located in the adjacent agricultural lands” was contaminated. It was alleged that Tata’s rainwater harvesting pond ended up overflowing because of wastewater discharged from the factory.
Tata was reportedly made aware of the contamination on December 23, 2025, but the company did not respond.
On Saturday, however, Tata revealed it had conducted an independent sample analysis, which indicated the company was in full compliance with regulations. All parameters were reportedly within the prescribed limits.
Now, the company says the TNPCB has reached the same conclusion, as “the reports of its own analysis of recently collected water samples from Tata Electronics’ manufacturing facility in Hosur, Tamil Nadu, do not indicate any contamination”.
Though the regulator ultimately conceded, it’s still unclear if farm water in the Tamil Nadu region was actually contaminated.
It’s unclear how and why Tata’s findings differed from the results of the initial tests conducted by the TNPCB. Either the regulator somehow made the same mistake five times in a row, or it was pressured into dropping its threat against Tata.
Tata’s role in the Apple supply chain
While Apple’s most significant supply chain partner, Foxconn, assembles the iPhone in India, parts for the devices also come from Tata.
In 2024, the company entered into a $1B partnership with Pegatron, another key Apple supplier, to expand iPhone manufacturing in Tamil Nadu. The year prior, Tata purchased Wistron’s Karnataka facility.
With its Tamil Nadu plant now receiving an all-clear from regulators, Tata’s iPhone component production will continue. Its manufacturing efforts may even increase, as Apple seeks to reduce its long-standing reliance on China.
Stephan is the sports journalist for the Maple Grove Report.
