Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), Britain’s largest automotive manufacturer and a subsidiary of Tata Motors, has confirmed that a major cyber incident has forced the company to shut down critical systems, severely disrupting its global operations in production and sales.
The luxury carmaker said it took “immediate action” to mitigate the impact by proactively shutting down its IT networks after unusual activity was detected. While the company stressed there is “no evidence” that customer data has been compromised, it acknowledged that retail operations and factory output have been significantly affected.
Final Call: Be DPDP Act Ready with FCRF’s Certified Data Protection Officer Program
Halewood Plant Workers Told to Stay Home
The disruption has been felt most acutely at the Halewood plant in Merseyside, one of JLR’s key UK facilities, where workers were told early Monday not to report to their shifts. The sudden stoppage highlights the vulnerability of highly connected industrial production lines, where a single breach can bring assembly to a standstill.
JLR’s retail partners worldwide have also been affected, with reports of dealers unable to access core systems. The company said it is working “at pace” to restart its global applications in a “controlled manner,” though no timeline has been confirmed.
Rising Cyber Threats Across the UK Retail Sector
The attack on JLR comes amid a surge in cyber incidents across the UK’s retail and consumer sectors. In recent months, companies such as Marks & Spencer, the Co-op, and Harrods have been targeted, with M&S suffering a ransomware strike that halted online sales for six weeks and is expected to cost the retailer as much as £300 million (approximately Rs. 3500 Crores).
For JLR, the disruption arrives at a precarious time. The company has been grappling with softer consumer demand in key markets, alongside geopolitical headwinds including newly imposed US tariffs. The cyber incident adds another layer of uncertainty for the carmaker, which is in the midst of a costly transition toward electrification under its “Reimagine” strategy.
Industry analysts say the episode underscores a wider trend: industrial manufacturers, with complex global supply chains and heavy reliance on digital infrastructure, are becoming prime targets for cybercriminals. While JLR has sought to reassure customers that personal data remains secure, the operational fallout from the incident may linger in the weeks ahead.