IPhone Factory In India Disrupted Due To Fire, Production Stopped

Pegatron, an iPhone factory in India, was hit by a fire. (photo: dock. special)

JAKARTA - Apple's supplier factory, Pegatron, in India experienced production disruptions after the fire that broke out on Sunday, September 24. The fire resulted in a temporary closure of the plant. Sources say that this closure may continue until next week because authorities in India are investigating the cause of the fire.

Pegatron described the fire as a "flower incident" that did not cause injury. They claim that the fire had no financial or operational impact on Pegatron Corporation. However, they canceled all assembly shifts during Monday and Tuesday.

Sources said that a shift in work on Wednesday, September 27 would also likely be canceled. One source stated that the damage was being repaired at a factory in the Chengalpatti area near the southern city of Chennai, and in the worst case, the plant's shutdown could last until this week.

Apple and Pegatron have yet to comment on this situation. According to a Reuters report, the Pegatron plant in India is one of the main factories producing iPhones for the domestic and export markets. The plant supplies about 10% of Apple's iPhone production in India.

This is not the first time facilities that produce Apple-related products have been disrupted in India. The fire in Pegatron is said to have come from charging shelves where cell phones are tested after assembly. The plant has about 8,000 workers in assembly lines and usually produces older iPhone models.

Apple has increased its presence in India since starting assembly of iPhones there in 2017 through partners such as Wistron and Foxconn. Pegatron, which started assembling iPhones in India in September last year. They are also in talks to open a second contract facility in India located close to the facility already in Tamil Nadu.