Indian technology manufacturer Tata Electronics has acknowledged a recent cybersecurity breach after security researchers revealed that a ransomware group known as World Leaks published what appear to be confidential component designs and specification documents belonging to Apple and Tesla — both of whom are customers of the Indian company.
The ransomware group has made more than 200,000 files available on the dark web, according to security researchers who spoke with Reuters.
In a statement, Tata Electronics said: “A few weeks ago, Tata Electronics identified a cybersecurity incident on some of our systems. Our response protocols were deployed immediately, and the incident has had no impact on our operations across businesses, which remain unaffected.”
A source with knowledge of the situation told Reuters that Apple is currently looking into the breach and that a “full analysis was going on.” The same source confirmed that Tata had received a ransom demand tied to the incident. Apple did not respond to media requests for comment, and Tata Electronics declined to address questions about the ransom demand.
This breach adds to a series of difficulties facing Apple’s supply chain operations in India, where Tata has also faced scrutiny over alleged contamination of farmland near one of its iPhone component factories. Tata has been growing into one of Apple’s most significant manufacturing partners outside of China — a development that aligns with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s goal of turning India into a global hub for electronics manufacturing.
This is not the first time Tata has been targeted by cybercriminals. The company’s British Jaguar Land Rover division was hit by a cyberattack last year, which caused a six-week halt in production. India’s Computer Emergency Response Team, which operates under the country’s IT ministry and monitors cyber incidents, did not immediately reply to requests for comment.
World Leaks, which has previously claimed involvement in a breach of Nike, announced on its dark web site that it was releasing stolen data from Tata Electronics. Reuters was unable to independently confirm the authenticity of the data or reach World Leaks for a response.
According to the World Leaks website, the Tata data includes more than 200,000 files totaling over 630 gigabytes. The site’s database displays numerous purported Apple files and folders, some labeled “com.apple.factorydata,” along with documents referencing “material specification.”
Indian cybersecurity researcher Rajshekhar Rajaharia, who examined the Tata files on World Leaks on behalf of Reuters, said the data also contains emails, event logs going back several years, and passport copies of employees — including foreign nationals. Rajaharia has previously assisted Indian law enforcement on cyber-related cases.
The dark web site is not accessible through standard search engines and requires special software to reach. A second security researcher, Rakesh Krishnan, told Reuters the data has been available on the dark web since at least June 10.
Tata also manufactures parts for Tesla, according to industry sources. One folder in the World Leaks database was labeled “NV36 Chargeport Controller — North America,” apparently referring to components used in an upgraded version of Tesla’s Model Y SUV. Another document from 2023, marked “TRADE SECRET,” contained drawings tied to Tesla’s internal project called Highland — a publicly known codename for a redesigned version of the Model 3 sedan. Tesla did not respond to requests for comment.
Rajaharia also provided a screen recording of his file review. It showed that searching for “Apple” returned 181 files and folders, while a search for “Tesla” brought up files that appeared to include manufacturing specifications and an assembly document dated May 2025.
Some of the published files carried footers stating, “This document contains proprietary and confidential information of Apple Inc.” and “information contained herein is deemed confidential, proprietary, and a trade secret of Tesla Inc.”
Among the leaked materials was a 52-page document bearing Apple’s proprietary markings, which reportedly details quality inspection standards for iPhone circuit board parts. Additionally, 33 files and folders were associated with the search term “Hosur” — the location of Tata’s primary iPhone assembly facility in Tamil Nadu state.
Tata notified certain employees at its iPhone assembly operations about the data breach last week, a second industry source confirmed. The company currently handles approximately one-third of Apple’s iPhone production in India, with the remainder produced by Foxconn.
