Tata Electronics served show cause notice over fire incident at TN iPhone factory

The Tamil Nadu government has issued a show-cause notice to Tata Electronics following a fire that broke out at one of its units in Hosur late last month.

The notice, sent under the Directorate of Industrial Health and Safety (DISH), has asked the company to provide an explanation for the incident within a week, unless an extension is sought.

This notice, a standard part of the procedure in such cases, was addressed to both the factory’s designated "occupier" and its manager, as required by the Factories Act.

Under the Act, the term "occupier" refers to the individual responsible for overseeing the factory’s operations, ensuring worker safety, and managing compliance. For companies, a director can be appointed to assume this role.

More from Tech

The notice alleges that the fire started due to a thermostat failure in the plant's anodising section, allowing the blaze to spread rapidly through an air duct and cause severe damage.

Tata Electronics has been asked to share its investigation findings, either agreeing with the government’s assessment or presenting an alternative explanation based on its own inquiries.

Sources familiar with the matter revealed that DISH had previously determined the fire’s "most probable cause" as a thermostat malfunction in one of the anodising baths, which led to the destruction of the entire section. Tata Electronics’ management has been briefed on these initial findings.

Meanwhile, Apple’s supplier responsibility (SR) team has been actively involved since September 29, arriving at the facility to provide advice and guidance following the incident. Tata Electronics serves as Apple’s sole Indian contract manufacturer, and the incident occurred just a day before the SR team’s arrival.

Tata Electronics has yet to respond publicly to the show-cause notice. The government’s probe aims to determine what went wrong and ensure steps are taken to prevent a recurrence.

The company's response is expected to shed further light on the matter, and it remains to be seen whether Tata Electronics will align with the government’s conclusions or present new insights from its own investigation.

The incident highlights the importance of industrial safety measures, especially in high-stakes manufacturing units involved in global supply chains. The authorities are now waiting for Tata Electronics' response, hoping for greater clarity on the circumstances that led to the fire.