New Delhi: India’s first tempered glass manufacturing facility for mobile devices was inaugurated by union minister of electronics and information technology Ashwini Vaishnaw at Noida on Saturday.
Optiemus Electronics, in collaboration with Corning Incorporated, USA, has set up the state-of-the-art facility with an initial investment of Rs 70 crore. The facility 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, it will scale up capacity to 200 million units per annum for 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 standardized, high-quality tempered glass to Indian consumers for the first time in India,” an official said.
Speaking on the occasion, Vaishnaw said that tempered glass is an important accessory for mobile phones and its indigenous manufacturing is a major step forward in the success of Make in India and the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He added that step by step, India will manufacture each and 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.
He underlined that in the past 11 years, electronics manufacturing in India has grown six times to reach a production value of Rs 11.5 lakh crore, with exports of over Rs 3 lakh crore and direct and indirect employment for 2.5 million people. He said that the overall electronics ecosystem in the country is developing rapidly and value addition is being enhanced step by step.
Vaishnaw 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, he said.
The minister further said that India’s GDP growth of 7.8% in the first quarter of 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.
“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,” Ashok Kumar Gupta, chairman, Optiemus Infracom Ltd, said.
India Cellular and Electronics Association (ICEA) chairman Pankaj Mahindroo said that the facility will support MSMEs and contribute significantly to India’s export footprint.
“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,” he said.
The domestic market for tempered glass is estimated at more than 500 million pieces with a retail value of approximately Rs 20,000 crore – showcasing a large-scale opportunity in the country. The global market is worth over USD 60 billion.