Alexander Lewis 
Dec 05, 2023
Foxconn and Pegatron have temporarily halted iPhone production in Chennai, southern India, on Monday owing to severe rains and, Michaung, a cyclone, surrounding the city.
Famed as a vital hub for electronics and manufacturing, the city of Chennai in Tamil Nadu state experienced torrential rains, leading to significant flooding.
The adverse weather conditions also prompted the shutdown of the city's airport, resulting in two casualties and the submersion of vehicles.
Read more: Foxconn to invest $1.54 billion in India
As Cyclone Michaung progressed down the coast toward the neighbouring state of Andhra Pradesh, concerns about safety and operational disruptions compelled Foxconn and Pegatron to suspend their iPhone assembly lines, according to a Reuters report.
Foxconn, boasting a workforce of approximately 35,000 at its Tamil Nadu iPhone factory, is currently deliberating whether to resume production on Tuesday, according to insights provided by two sources familiar with the matter.
The cyclone was anticipated to make landfall on the coast of the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh around noon on Tuesday, the country’s weather office said, with sustained winds of 90kph to 100kph (56mph to 62mph) with the possibility of hitting its peak at 110kph.
Foxconn has been expanding its production base in India by investing in manufacturing locations in the south of the country, with Apple looking to shift some production away from China.
According to data released by, Counterpoint Research, a market analytics firm, the iPhone maker recorded its highest-ever quarterly shipments from India in the quarter ending September 2023 at more than 2.5 million units.
Foxconn and Pegatron did not immediately respond to Reuters' requests for comment, whereas Apple declined to comment.
This is the second time in recent months that Pegatron has been forced to pause its production in India after a fire incident in September, when it halted iPhone assembly.
