Samsung's Rs 5,000 crore expansion plan

Samsung plans to increase capacity to make 100 million phones in India by 2020, which will be sold here as well as exported.

With about 30 mobile manufacturing companies setting up bases in Noida and Greater Noida, the government wants to develop these areas as a hub of electronics manufacturing on the lines of Singapore.

Noida boasts of manufacturing units of almost all big companies, including Samsung. The South Korean conglomerate on Wednesday announced another investment of Rs 4,915 crore to expand its facility.

The investment is expected to create 5,000 direct and 15,000 indirect jobs. At this facility, Samsung produces smartphones, refrigerators and flat TVs.

Samsung plans to increase capacity to make 100 million phones in India by 2020, which will be sold here as well as exported.

“The investment reaffirms Samsung’s commitment to Make in India and Make for India and to the state of Uttar Pradesh,” H C Hong, president and CEO, Samsung Southwest Asia, said.

The Noida plant was set up in 1996 and is the first of two manufacturing units in India. The plant started with the manufacture of televisions in 1997, and mobile phone manufacturing unit was added in 2005.

“The expansion of the plant on an additional 35-acre land, adjacent to the current facility, will double the production capacity of both mobile phones and refrigerators,” a company statement said.

Union Minister for Information Technology Ravi Shankar Prasad, who was present at the unit, spoke of the government’s plan to develop Noida and Greater Noida as manufacturing hubs for electronics.

Photograph: Reuters