Key Takeaways
- Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw inaugurated India’s first tempered glass manufacturing unit for mobile devices in Noida.
- Facility set up by Optiemus Electronics with Corning Incorporated to serve domestic and global markets.
- Phase 1 investment of ₹70 crore, scaling up to ₹800 crore with capacity of 200 million units annually and 4,500 jobs.
- Part of India’s push to manufacture every mobile phone component, including chips, under the Make in India and Atmanirbhar Bharat vision.
- Electronics sector now valued at ₹11.5 lakh crore, supporting 2.5 million jobs and driving exports of ₹3 lakh crore.
A Milestone for Make in India
Union Minister of Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw inaugurated India’s first tempered glass manufacturing facility for mobile devices in Noida. The plant, established by Optiemus Electronics in collaboration with Corning Incorporated, USA, will produce high-quality cover glass under the brand “Engineered by Corning.”
Speaking at the launch, Shri Vaishnaw said this initiative represents a decisive move toward complete self-reliance in electronics manufacturing. He emphasized that every component of mobile devices—including tempered glass, chips, and cover assemblies—will eventually be produced in India.
Scaling from Domestic Market to Global Supply
The facility begins operations with an initial investment of ₹70 crore and a Phase 1 production capacity of 25 million units per year, creating 600 jobs. In Phase 2, the company plans to invest an additional ₹800 crore to expand capacity to 200 million units annually, generating 4,500 new jobs.
The tempered glass market in India exceeds 500 million pieces annually with a value of ₹20,000 crore. Globally, the market is estimated at over USD 60 billion, positioning India to become a strong exporter of this high-demand product.
Strengthening India’s Electronics Growth Story
The Minister highlighted that electronics manufacturing in India has grown six times over the past decade, now valued at ₹11.5 lakh crore, with exports exceeding ₹3 lakh crore and 2.5 million jobs created. He also announced that India’s first indigenously developed chip will be launched soon, further strengthening domestic value creation.
He praised India’s design capabilities, citing the example of an IIT Madras-incubated startup developing the nation’s first microcontroller, and pointed to Indian Railways exporting high-standard equipment to Europe as proof of global competitiveness.
Industry Leaders Welcome the Move
Ashok Kumar Gupta, Chairman of Optiemus Infracom, called the development a “landmark moment,” stressing the goal of making BIS-certified, Made in India tempered glass accessible to every mobile phone user in the country.
Pankaj Mahindroo, Chairman of the India Cellular & Electronics Association (ICEA), underlined the segment’s labor-intensive nature, highlighting its potential for MSME participation, mass employment generation, and export growth.
Advanced Manufacturing Capabilities
The Noida facility will cover the full production cycle—scribing, shaping, polishing, chemical tempering, coating, printing, and lamination—under rigorous quality checks. This ensures that Indian consumers receive standardized, high-quality tempered glass, while also enabling India to meet global quality benchmarks.
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