New Delhi: Eyeing growth in India, speciality glass-making giant Corning has signed a joint enture (JV) with homegrown electronics component maker Optiemus to produce finished cover glass for smartphones locally within the country. This is a first for Corning, New York-hedquartered Corning Inc. where it is partnering with another firm to produce specialised electronics glass. The manufacturing of the cover glass for smartphones will commence in India by the fourth quarter (Q4) of next year, Corning and Optiemus jointly told ABP Live in Delhi on Thursday (October 26) during a press meet.
The manufacturing unit that will be set up under the 70:30 JV between Corning and Noida-based Optiemus will create 500-700 jobs.
Asked if the company is going to set up new facility for manufacturing the cover glass, John Bayne, Senior Vice-President and GM Mobile Consumer Electronics, Corning Incorporated told ABP Live: “This will be a new addition, a new greenfield factory, so there will be a new building and new equipment for it.”
Corning also confirmed that the joint venture, Bharat Innovation Glass (BIG), for making finished cover glass locally may be extended.
“The current JV is focussed on cover glass manufacturing, but we can certainly extend the partnership into other areas. We’ve partnered with Optiemus before and we would again look for a partner that is homegrown and is aggressive in doing what they say,” Bayne noted.
The JV facility will be capable of manufacturing front cover and a back cover, or both 2D design, 2.5D design as well as 3D design. It should be noted that 2.5D design is used to address contoured or curved glass that has a slight curvature at the edges.
“We would expect probably 2 to 2.5D design which is the popular level of shape.”
Corning To Apply For SPECS Scheme
Unlike smartphone makers that have the PLI scheme, there is no incentive-based programme for computer chipsets sector or glass manufacturers. Electronics industry body ELCINA has recently asked the Centre to come up with a production linked incentive scheme for non-semiconductor or computer chips sector, a senior official of the organisation was quoted as saying by PTI.
Corning also confirmed it will apply for the government’s Scheme for Promotion of Manufacturing of Electronic Components and Semiconductors (SPECS) to make the finished smartphone glass covers locally.
“We would apply for the SPECS. So certainly we expect support from the from the national government. Optiemus is helping us navigate the state governments as well. We’ll figure out where we want to put this when we have a shortlist at this point. If you want to expand on that we’d expect some incentives from the state governments,” Bayne noted.
Ashok Kumar Gupta, Chairman of Optiemus, said, “So in current situation, we are getting support from centre and states and we are also looking to bring employment basically along with supply chain to the state. We are talking to some states and soon we will be in position to finalise, which is the best suitable for logistics and technological support.”
It is understood that the companies will set up a manufacturing facility in the southern Indian state of Telangana and invest around Rs 1,000 crore. Both the firms did not comment on the investment, when asked.