India's Tata Electronics hit by cyber breach; Tesla, Apple trade secrets leaked

India’s Tata Electronics said on Monday that it had detected a recent “cybersecurity incident” after researchers reported that a group called World Leaks had posted what it claimed were component design and specification documents belonging to Apple and Tesla, both customers of the Indian company.

Security researchers said that the ransomware group had published more than 200,000 files on the dark web, News.Az reports, citing Reuters .

“In 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,” Tata Electronics said in a statement to Reuters.

Apple was investigating the breach and conducting a “full analysis,” according to a source familiar with the matter, who added that Tata had received a ransom demand linked to the incident. Apple (AAPL.O) did not respond to requests for , while Tata Electronics declined to on the ransom demand.

The incident marks another setback for Apple’s supply chain in India, where Tata is already facing scrutiny over alleged contamination of farmland near one of its iPhone component plants, Reuters reported.

Tata is becoming one of Apple’s key manufacturing partners outside China, supporting a broader expansion that is part of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s push to position India as a global electronics manufacturing hub.

The company was previously targeted in a cyberattack involving its UK-based Jaguar Land Rover operations last year, which led to a six-week production halt.

India’s Computer Emergency Response Team, a unit under the IT ministry responsible for overseeing cyber incidents, did not immediately respond to Reuters’ requests for .

World Leaks, which has previously claimed responsibility for a breach at Nike, said on its dark web site that it was publishing stolen data from Tata Electronics. Reuters could not independently verify the authenticity of the data and was unable to the group for .

According to the group’s site, the leaked Tata Electronics data includes more than 200,000 files totaling over 630 gigabytes. A database reportedly contains Apple-related files and folders, including items labeled “com.apple.factorydata” and documents referencing “material specification.”

Indian cybersecurity researcher Rajshekhar Rajaharia, who reviewed the files for Reuters, said they also include emails, event logs spanning several years, and passport copies of employees, including foreign nationals. Rajaharia has previously advised Indian police on cyber incidents.

The data is reportedly accessible only via the dark web, beyond the reach of standard engines. Another researcher, Rakesh Krishnan, said the material had been available since at least June 10.

Industry sources said Tata also manufactures parts for Tesla. One folder in the leaked dataset was labeled “NV36 Chargeport Controller - North America,” apparently referencing components used in an upgraded version of Tesla’s Model Y SUV. Another document, marked as “TRADE SECRET,” reportedly detailed Tesla’s “Project Highland,” the internal codename for its refreshed Model 3 sedan.

Rajaharia also shared a screen recording showing that a for “Apple” returned 181 files and folders, while “Tesla” produced results including manufacturing specifications and an assembly document dated May 2025.

Some files allegedly 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.”

The breach underscores the growing vulnerability of global companies to increasingly sophisticated cyberattacks and ransomware operations.

Among the leaked material was a 52-page document bearing Apple’s proprietary markings, allegedly outlining quality inspection standards for iPhone circuit board components. There were also 33 files and folders linked to “Hosur,” the location of Tata’s main iPhone assembly facility in Tamil Nadu.

Tata reportedly informed some employees at its iPhone assembly operations the breach last week, according to an industry source.

Tata currently accounts for one-third of Apple’s iPhone production in India, while Foxconn handles the remainder.