Apple iPhone-Maker Wistron Likely To Resume Production At Its Violence-Hit Karnataka Plant Next Week: Report

Apple iPhone-maker Wistron Corporation may resume operations at its violence-hit Narasapura plant in Karnataka next week as the reconstruction is nearing completion, official sources said.

People in the know said that large-scale rehiring after extensive background checks by police is now underway. As global iPhone demand is on the rise, all-out efforts are on to get the capacity back on track to fulfil the global demand, they said.

The plant is likely to scale up its capacity in four weeks after operations resume.

In December, a large number of workers at the Narasapura facility went on a rampage allegedly over issues related to payment of salaries.

Taipei-based Wistron Corporation estimated Rs 54-crore loss due to the violence at the plant, about 60 km east of Bengaluru, leading to its shutdown. About 150 employees were arrested on December 12-13.

The company has invested about Rs 2,000 crore in the plant to roll out about 4 lakh iPhone 7 handsets per annum and second-generation iPhone SE devices.

Of nearly 10,000 workers, around 1,340 are permanent and 8,500 on contract, hired by six firms.

Following the violence, Apple placed Wistron on probation after finding fault with the company over payment delays in October and November to workers at the Narasapura facility.

(This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.)