iPhone maker Wistron to shut down India business after 15 years

Taiwan-based iPhone maker Wistron is reportedly planning to shut its India business after more than 15 years. The firm will likely approach National Company Law Tribunal and Registrar of Companies to dissolve its India operations within the next year. This comes amid reports that Tata Electronics is close to acquiring Wistron's iPhone plant in Karnataka.  

The Karnataka plant became a problem for Wistron in December 2020, after employees rioted over allegations of shorted pay. The incident led to Apple putting Wistron on probation.

As per sources, once the takeover of the iPhone arm is complete, Wistron will start the process of winding down. It is also said that Wistron will also wait for more subsidy payments from the Mobile PLI scheme set up by the government to encourage production, before shutting down. 

While Wistron employs over 12,000 people in India, not all will lose their jobs over time. The majority of Wistron's employees work under the iPhone unit that Tata is in the process of acquiring. 

Wistron's other interests in the country include firms in the Internet of Things market, as well as attempts to attract more notebook production and work in the electric vehicle space. However, it now seems that these won't necessarily come to fruition, at least not in India. 

There will still be some elements of Wistron active in India despite the winding-down situation. Sources say the only operations that will probably still exist in India will be its services business, set up to repair and maintain Apple products.