India boosts electronics manufacturing with new tempered glass facility

Optiemus Infracom, an electronics manufacturing company, has inaugurated India’s first tempered glass production facility using 'Engineered by Corning' technology, developed by Corning Incorporated, a global provider in materials science. The plant is located in Noida, Uttar Pradesh.

The facility was inaugurated by Ashwini Vaishnaw, Union Minister for Electronics & IT, Information & Broadcasting, and Railways. This development marks a significant milestone for India's growing electronics manufacturing sector. In the financial year 2024–25, India’s total electronics production surpassed Rs 11.7 lakh crore, positioning the country as the second-largest mobile phone manufacturer globally.

The Noida-based facility has been established with an initial investment of Rs 70 crore and includes advanced infrastructure to support the full-scale transformation of raw materials into tempered glass. In its first phase, the plant will have an installed capacity of 25 million units per annum and is expected to create over 600 direct employment opportunities.

 A second phase, involving an additional investment of Rs 800 crore, aims to expand the capacity to 200 million units annually, generating more than 4,500 direct jobs. The expansion will serve both domestic and international markets.

Speaking at the inauguration, Ashwini Vaishnaw stated, “We are pleased to witness the collaboration between Optiemus and Corning, and the commencement of production today. The electronics components ecosystem is developing rapidly in India. Over the past 11 years, electronics manufacturing has grown sixfold, reaching approximately Rs 11.5 lakh crore, including Rs 3.5 lakh crore in exports.'

He added, 'This reflects the success of the Prime Minister’s vision. We are progressively working towards local manufacturing of all mobile device components and fostering research and development in India. As this tempered glass facility begins operations, we are also progressing towards domestic chip production. The industry is developing well and currently supports around 25 lakh jobs.”

India’s domestic market for tempered glass is estimated to exceed 500 million units annually, with a retail value of approximately Rs 20,000 crore. The global market is valued at over USD 60 billion, indicating significant potential for both domestic fulfilment and exports.

Ashok Kumar Gupta, Chairman of Optiemus Infracom Limited, commented, “This marks an important step for India’s electronics manufacturing industry. Despite being one of the world’s largest mobile phone markets, India has historically depended on imports for tempered glass. This facility aims to develop globally competitive capabilities to serve both Indian and international markets. Our goal is for every mobile phone user in India to have access to domestically produced tempered glass that meets BIS certification standards.”

Pankaj Mahindroo, Chairman of the India Cellular & Electronics Association (ICEA), added,“Tempered glass manufacturing is highly labour-intensive and offers significant potential for India, not only to meet domestic demand but also to emerge as a major exporter. High-quality local manufacturing in this sector can support MSMEs, create employment at scale, and contribute meaningfully to India's electronics export growth.”

The Optiemus facility is claimed to be the first of its kind in India, equipped with comprehensive manufacturing processes including scribing, shaping/chamfering, polishing, dual-stage rinsing, chemical tempering, coating, printing, and lamination.In accordance with Optiemus, each process is subject to rigorous quality control, ensuring consistent production of high-standard tempered glass for the Indian market.