Key Points

New Delhi [India], August 30 (ANI): Union Minister of Electronics and Information Technology Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw today inaugurated India's first tempered glass manufacturing facility for mobile devices at Noida, the Ministry of Electronics & IT said in an official statement.

The facility has been set up by Optiemus Electronics in collaboration with Corning Incorporated, USA, and will produce high-quality tempered glass under the globally recognised brand "Engineered by Corning".

The products will be supplied to both domestic and international markets.

Speaking on the occasion, the Minister stated that tempered glass is a crucial accessory for mobile phones, and its indigenous manufacturing represents a significant step forward in the success of the 'Make in India' initiative and the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

He added that step by step, India will manufacture every component used in mobile phones, including chips, cover glasses, laptop and server components, thereby positioning the country as a global player in electronics manufacturing. The Minister also informed that a Made-in-India chip is expected to roll out soon, marking another milestone in the country's journey towards self-reliance, the statement said.

Vaishnaw emphasised that over the past 11 years, electronics manufacturing in India has grown sixfold to reach a production value of Rs 11.5 lakh crore, with exports exceeding ₹3 lakh crore and providing direct and indirect employment to 2.5 million people. He stated that the overall electronics ecosystem in the country is developing rapidly, with incremental value addition, the statement added.

The Minister also highlighted that India's design strength is its biggest strength, and the government will continue to boost research and development capabilities. Citing examples, he said that an IIT Madras-incubated startup has designed India's first microcontroller, which will soon be deployed in Indian products. In the Railways sector, Indian manufacturers are already exporting equipment of the highest global quality standards to European countries.

Vaishnaw further said that India's GDP growth of 7.8% in the first quarter of the financial year 2025-26 demonstrates that the country is a stable, vibrant and innovation-driven economy. He called upon the youth to work hard and contribute to the vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat and Viksit Bharat 2047, stating that the world is looking towards India with great expectations.

On the occasion, 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 aim to develop global-scale capabilities that support the Indian and international markets with high-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."

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."

For Tempered Glass, it is estimated that the domestic market exceeds 500 million pieces, with a retail value of approximately INR 20,000 crore, showcasing a large-scale opportunity in the country. The global market is worth over USD 60 billion.

With an initial investment of INR 70 crore, the facility in Noida will feature state-of-the-art infrastructure that enables the complete transformation of raw materials into high-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, the capacity will be scaled up to 200 million units per annum for both local and global markets, with an additional investment of INR 800 crore, creating over 4,500 direct job opportunities.

The facility boasts comprehensive manufacturing capabilities, including scribing, shaping/chamfering, polishing, dual-stage rinsing, chemical tempering, coating, printing, and lamination. Each stage is conducted under stringent quality inspections, bringing standardised, high-quality tempered glass to Indian consumers for the first time.

Optiemus Group is a high-performance telecommunications and manufacturing enterprise headquartered in India. The company has nearly three decades of experience across telecommunications, technology and manufacturing, and has a unique understanding of the Indian electronics market.

- ANI