A tempered-glass factory’s inauguration in Noida on Saturday marked the country’s first ‘Made-in-India’ venture in the tempered glass section.
The facility has been started by Optiemus Infracom in partnership with US material technology firm, Corning, with an initial investment of ₹70 crore.
Tempered glass is used as a protective layer for mobile phone screens.
Speaking on the occasion of the inauguration, Union Electronics and IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said electronics manufacturing in India had grown six times in the past 11 years to reach a production value of ₹11.5 lakh crore. With exports touching ₹3 lakh crore, he said it provides direct and indirect employment to 25 lakh people.
“Optiemus is the new gem in the fast-growing electronics manufacturing ecosystem in the country. By the end of this year, production of covered glass from Corning will also commence,” the minister said, and asked the company to consider increasing its research headcount from 40 to 400 since product design and development is going to be the core strength of the electronics manufacturing industry.
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Meanwhile, Optiemus Infracom said its Noida facility will have an installed capacity of 2.5 crore units per annum, generating direct employment for over 600 people. In one year, it plans to ramp-up production with an additional investment of ₹800 crore.
“Optiemus plans to make an investment of ₹800 crore in one year for producing tempered glass locally and expects to create direct and indirect employment for 16,000 people with capacity of 20 crore units per annum,” said Ashok Kumar Gupta, chairman, Optiemus Infracom.
Gupta said the company plans to have a factory in the South in Phase 2 of its expansion, with an investment of ₹450 crore and the capacity to produce 15 crore tempered glass.
"The entire ₹800 crore will be invested in the production of tempered glass in the next 12 months," he said.
Also on the cards is the company’s aim to start selling ‘Made-in-India’ tempered glass under the brand, RhinoTech, from September onwards, offering unlimited replacement during one-year warranty period.
With another joint venture planned in Chennai by the year-end, which makes cover glass that comes fixed on top of mobile displays from the factories, Gupta said he is hopeful of getting market traction with government intervention to check sale of non-standard compliant tempered glass in the country.
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