The Indian government has launched an investigation into a cybersecurity breach at Tata Electronics after confidential documents relating to Apple’s unreleased iPhone 18 Pro were leaked online, raising concerns over the security of the tech giant’s global supply chain.
Indian authorities have begun investigating a major cybersecurity breach at Tata Electronics following the leak of confidential documents linked to Apple’s unreleased iPhone 18 Pro, in a development that has heightened concerns over the security of one of the world’s most closely guarded technology supply chains.
The investigation marks the first public response by the Indian government since reports emerged that sensitive files stolen from Tata Electronics, one of Apple’s key manufacturing partners in India, had been published on the dark web by a ransomware group.
Speaking to reporters on Thursday, India’s secretary at the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, S. Krishnan, confirmed that the government had initiated an investigation into the incident.
“We are investigating,” he said, adding that the breach had been reported to India’s Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In), the country’s principal agency responsible for responding to cybersecurity threats.
The leaked data reportedly includes confidential lists detailing components and suppliers involved in the production of Apple’s upcoming iPhone 18 Pro, as well as photographs of prototype devices.
The disclosure is considered particularly significant because Apple traditionally maintains strict confidentiality over its product development process and does not publicly reveal which suppliers manufacture specific components for new devices before launch.
According to reports, the leaked material contains at least six files identifying companies responsible for producing key parts of the iPhone 18 Pro models, information absent from Apple’s publicly available supplier database.
The breach threatens the highly coordinated and confidential manufacturing network through which Apple produces its flagship smartphones using suppliers across several countries.
Apple is widely expected to unveil the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max in September.
In response to the breach, Tata Electronics has reportedly appointed an international cybersecurity consulting firm to conduct a comprehensive forensic investigation into the attack and assess the extent of the compromise.
The incident is also believed to extend beyond Apple-related information. Reports indicate that documents associated with Tesla, Qualcomm and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) were also found among files published on the dark web, suggesting a broader cyberattack targeting multiple global technology companies.
Authorities have not yet disclosed the identity of the ransomware group responsible or indicated whether any arrests have been made.
The investigation is expected to examine how the attackers gained access to Tata Electronics’ systems, the scope of the data exposed and the measures required to strengthen cybersecurity protections across India’s rapidly expanding electronics manufacturing sector.
