Optiemus Infracom has inaugurated the country’s first manufacturing plant for tempered glass made with Engineered by Corning, a technology developed by Corning Incorporated, in Noida, Uttar Pradesh. It is a move to contribute to India’s ‘Make in India’ initiative. The manufacturing facility was inaugurated by Ashwini Vaishnaw, union minister, electronics and IT, internet and broadcasting and railways, marking a historic milestone for India’s growing electronics ecosystem. In 2024-25, India’s overall electronics production crossed Rs 11.7 trillion, and the country became the second largest mobile manufacturing nation in the world.
With an initial investment of Rs 700 million, the facility will feature a state-of-the-art infrastructure that will enable a complete transformation of raw material into excellent quality tempered glass. Phase 1 will have an installed capacity of 25 million units per annum, generating direct employment for over 600 people. In phase 2, Optiemus will scale up capacity to 200 million units per annum for local and global markets, with an additional investment of Rs 8 billion, creating over 4,500 direct job opportunities.
For tempered glass, it is estimated that the domestic market is more than 500 million pieces with a retail value of approximately Rs 200 billion, showcasing a large-scale opportunity in the country. The global market is worth over USD 60 billion.
Commenting on the inauguration, Ashwini Vaishnaw, said “We are pleased to see the partnership between Optiemus and Corning, and the commencement of production today. The overall ecosystem for components is developing rapidly in India. Over the last 11 years, electronics manufacturing has grown sixfold, and today it is around Rs 11.5 trillion industry, with exports of around Rs 3.5 trillion; an impressive achievement and a testament to the prime minister’s vision. Step by step, we plan to manufacture every component used in mobile devices right here in India in the near future. We also encourage research and development to take place in India and are working toward becoming a global player. Just as the tempered glass manufacturing plant has begun operations today, we will soon see ‘made in India’ chips as well. The electronics manufacturing industry is shaping up well and currently generates approximately 0.25 million jobs.”
Meanwhile, Ashok Kumar Gupta, chairman, Optiemus Infracom Limited, said, “This is a landmark moment for the Indian electronics manufacturing industry and the Make in India vision. Despite being one of the world’s largest mobile phone markets, India has relied on imports for tempered glass. With this initiative, we are looking at building global-scale capabilities to support the Indian and international markets with the best quality products. Our aspiration is that every Indian mobile phone user must use a Make in India tempered glass with BIS certification and fog marking to protect their screen.”
In addition, Pankaj Mahindroo, chairman, India Cellular & Electronics Association (ICEA), said, “This product segment has a very high labour-intensive manufacturing process and presents a tremendous opportunity for India – not just to meet its own high domestic demand, but also to become a leading exporter. By promoting high-quality manufacturing, we see immense potential to support MSMEs, generate large-scale employment, and contribute significantly to India’s export footprint – making India a global centre for electronics accessories manufacturing.”
