Tata Electronics Acknowledges Cyber Breach Amid Apple and Tesla Supply Chain Data Leak

Tata Electronics, one of India’s leading electronics and semiconductor manufacturers and a major supplier to companies including Apple and Tesla, has confirmed it experienced a cybersecurity breach weeks after data allegedly stolen from the company was posted for sale on a hacker forum.

The confirmation follows claims on the hacking forum that more than 630GB of data was taken from Tata Electronics, including over 204,300 files. A review of a sample of the leaked material reportedly revealed what appeared to be Apple supplier specifications and Tesla manufacturing documents. However, the authenticity, origin, and completeness of the files have not been independently verified.

Established in 2020, Tata Electronics has rapidly become a key contributor to India’s efforts to expand electronics manufacturing and semiconductor production. The company operates multiple facilities across the country and employs more than 75,000 people, according to its parent company’s website. It has also built partnerships with global technology companies, including Apple, ASML, Intel, Qualcomm, and Tesla, as manufacturers increasingly diversify production beyond China and expand operations in India.

Cybersecurity researcher Rajshekhar Rajaharia said the data advertised on the hacker forum included Microsoft Outlook email conversations, SAP-related information, and documents that were purportedly connected to several Tata Electronics customers, including Apple and Tesla.

A spokesperson for Tata Electronics confirmed that the company identified a cybersecurity incident affecting some of its systems “a few weeks ago” and said its incident response procedures were activated immediately. The spokesperson added that the breach had “no impact on our operations across businesses, which remain unaffected.”

However, Tata Electronics declined to disclose additional details, including the type of information that was compromised, the number of affected individuals or organisations, whether customers had been informed, or whether any data belonging to clients such as Apple or Tesla had been exposed.

Reuters previously reported that Tata Electronics notified some employees working at its iPhone assembly operations about the incident last week. The report also stated that Apple was investigating the breach and that the attackers had issued a ransom demand to Tata Electronics.

The incident comes as Tata Group continues expanding its role in global technology supply chains. In 2023, the company entered iPhone manufacturing by acquiring Wistron’s India operations, a longtime Apple supplier. Tata Electronics later strengthened its position by acquiring a 60% stake in Pegatron’s Indian business, another major Apple manufacturing partner.

The company also signed a semiconductor supply agreement with Tesla in 2024, further expanding its relationships with some of the world’s largest technology companies and reinforcing its growing role in the global electronics manufacturing ecosystem.