US-based company Corning, known for its Gorilla Glass, will soon start local manufacturing in India. The company is preparing to set up a new facility in Tamil Nadu worth Rs 1000 crores. Corning has partnered with India-based Optiemus Infracom for this new project.
Corning is a major glass screen supplier for Apple, Xiaomi, Samsung, and many other phone makers. The company’s entry into the Indian local manufacturing segment will add a new boost to smartphone production in the country.
Gorilla Glass Screens Will Now Be Made in India
Earlier this year, Corning had announced its plans to set up a joint venture in India. The company was earlier looking to set up a facility in Telangana, but they have chosen Tamil Nadu instead due to the presence of other similar companies in the vicinity.
Economic Times has now reported that Corning has partnered with India-based Optiemus Infracom to set up a new facility in the Pillaipakkam region of Tamil Nadu. A 25-acre plot has been selected for this plant site. This new facility will employ over 300 people directly, with additional indirect jobs. As per reports, this plant is expected to have an initial production capacity of 30 million screens.
Corning almost enjoys a monopoly in the screen protection segment for phones and tablets. The company’s Gorilla Glass screens are famous for scratch and crack resistance adding more durability to devices.
According to Neil Shah, the VP of Counterpoint Research, Corning is a major supplier for Apple for the screens of its iPhones and iPads. With Apple’s rising number of iPhone exports from India, Corning’s new facility will aid the local production of multiple companies in the country.
Corning’s selection of Tamil Nadu for its new plant also serves as a strategic importance, due to its close proximity to other smartphone factories. For reference, Foxconn has a major facility in Tamil Nadu that produces the latest iPhone 15 Series. The Tata Group is also setting up a new iPhone manufacturing facility in the same state.
The official documents for Corning’s new facility in India are expected to be signed during the upcoming Global Investor Meet (GIM) in January 2024. The company has not yet announced an official date for the commencing of the operations of this new plant. As per Corning’s previous statements, we can expect the company to start production by the end of 2024.
