Local electronic contract manufacturer Optiemus on Friday formed a joint venture with US-based Corning International to
manufacture Gorilla glass for smartphones in India. The manufacturing unit will come up in Telangana with an investment size of Rs 934 crore and will employ 800 people, Telangana industry minister K T Rama Rao said in a tweet.
The manufacturing facility is expected to start operations by 2024.
“Embarking on this new journey, we intend to emerge as one of the top manufacturers of finished cover glass parts for use in mobile consumer electronic devices in the next five years. Our collective expertise in innovation, design, and manufacturing will provide holistic solutions for the brands,” said Ashok Kumar Gupta, chairman of Optiemus Infracom in a statement.
The joint venture will sell the finished cover glass parts to mobile consumer electronics manufacturers and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) or their designated supply chain participants,for use in their operations.
“Happy to share that Corning, one of the world’s leaders in material sciences has decided to invest in Telangana to setup a manufacturing plant to make Gorilla Glass for smartphones, for the first time in India,” Rao said.
Glass, which is a key component in the manufacturing of smartphones and other electronic products is currently being imported in India.
In the joint venture, Optiemus will hold a 70% stake, whereas Corning(known for
its Gorilla Glass) will hold a 30% stake.
On whether the JV eligible for any incentives from the government, Gupta said, “We will apply for incentives, which
are very important for the project”.