JLR gets loan guarantee from UK govt after cyber-attack

London: The UK government has announced a loan guarantee of up to £1.5 billion to support Tata Mo-tors-owned Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) after a crippling cyber-attack halted production and disrupted its supply chain.

The loan will be raised from a commercial bank, backed by the Department for Business and Trade’s Export Development Guarantee, and repaid over five years. Officials said the move will bolster JLR’s cash flow and protect small and medium suppliers at risk from the shutdown.

Business and Trade Secretary Peter Kyle called the hack “an assault on our world-leading automotive sector,” while Chancellor Rachel Reeves said the support would safeguard thousands of jobs and show confidence in the UK car industry.

JLR, Britain’s largest carmaker with 34,000 direct staff and a supply chain employing around 120,000, said it is restoring operations in phases. Its Global Parts Logistics Centre has returned to full operations, and invoicing and vehicle sales systems are back online. Cybersecurity specialists, the National Cyber Security Centre and police continue to assist recovery. A group named Scattered Lapsus$ Hunters has claimed responsibility for the attack.