India gets first tempered glass plant by Optiemus, powered by Corning

The plant, inaugurated by Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, highlights India’s electronics growth to ₹11.7 lakh crore, with Optiemus investing ₹70 crore initially for 25 million tempered glass units and 600 jobs, expanding to 200 million units and 4,500 jobs in Phase 2

In a significant milestone for India’s growing electronics manufacturing sector, Optiemus Infracom, a leading electronics manufacturer, has inaugurated the country’s first tempered glass manufacturing plant using “Engineered by Corning” technology. The facility, located in Noida, Uttar Pradesh, marks a breakthrough in reducing import dependency and strengthening India’s position in the global electronics value chain.

The plant was inaugurated by Ashwini Vaishnaw, Union Minister for Electronics & IT, I&B and Railways, underscoring the government’s commitment to expanding domestic component manufacturing. India’s electronics industry has seen rapid growth, crossing INR 11.7 lakh crore in FY24-25, making the nation the world’s second-largest mobile manufacturing hub.

Investment, capacity and job creation

The new facility has been set up with an initial investment of INR 70 crore and features state-of-the-art infrastructure capable of converting raw material into premium-quality tempered glass. Phase 1 will produce 25 million units annually and create over 600 direct jobs.

In Phase 2, Optiemus plans to scale capacity to 200 million units per year with an additional investment of INR 800 crore, generating over 4,500 direct employment opportunities.

Highlighting the importance of this initiative, 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 ₹11.5 lakh crore industry, with exports of around ₹3.5 lakh crore; 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 25 lakh jobs.”

Industry leaders welcome the milestone

India’s domestic market for tempered glass is estimated at more than 500 million pieces annually, valued at approximately INR 20,000 crore, while the global market exceeds USD 60 billion.

Calling the project a breakthrough, 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.”

Adding to this, 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.”

World-class infrastructure for local and global markets

The facility is equipped with world-class manufacturing processes, including scribing, shaping/chamfering, polishing, dual-stage rinsing, chemical tempering, coating, printing, and lamination. With rigorous quality checks at every stage, Optiemus aims to deliver standardized, high-quality tempered glass to both domestic consumers and international markets.

This development positions India to strengthen its role not just as a mobile manufacturing hub, but also as a global player in electronics accessories manufacturing, aligning with the vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat.