Qualcomm has licensed Himachal Futuristic Communications Limited (HFCL) to manufacture 3G CDMA2000 mobile handsets, fixed wireless phones and line modem cards. HFCL will invest Rs 250-350 million to upgrade its plants at Solan and Chennai to manufacture over 4 million handsets and fixed wireless phones annually. The company hopes to sell two-thirds of the phones domestically and export the rest. HFCL will pay royalties on the chipsets at global rates, of about 5 per cent of the handset cost.
Qualcomm is in talks with other equipment manufacturers in India for similar licences.
