Corning to produce Gorilla Glass in India by mid-2025
Corning, the US-based manufacturer of Gorilla Glass, has announced plans to commence production at its new manufacturing facility in Tamil Nadu by mid-2025. The company's India managing director, Sudhir Pillai, told Mint that the initial output from this plant will be cover glasses for mobile phones. Additionally, Corning is preparing to launch another facility in Hyderabad to produce glass vials and tubes for vaccine storage.
Tamil Nadu facility's production capacity and beneficiaries
The Tamil Nadu facility is expected to have an initial production capacity of 35 million pieces. Pillai stated that this output will cater to both local and global vendors who are assembling in India. The production process at this plant will be managed by Bharat Innovative Glass Technologies, a joint venture between Corning and Optiemus Infracom, an Indian electronics manufacturing services provider.
Investment and construction plans
The total investment for the Tamil Nadu facility is estimated at ₹1,000 crore. Construction has already begun at the site and is expected to accelerate in the coming months. This project marks a significant step in Corning's expansion strategy in India, as it aims to meet the growing demand for high-quality glass products in various industries.
Hyderabad plant to support India's vaccine production
Corning is also setting up a plant in Hyderabad to produce glass vials for the pharmaceutical industry. Pillai highlighted that "India is becoming, slowly, the vaccine capital of the world," necessitating a high demand for these tubes. This facility is a result of a joint venture between Corning and France's SGD Pharma, with an initial investment of $60 million.
Exploring opportunities in semiconductor, aerospace industries
Corning is also exploring opportunities in the semiconductor industry to provide glass for lasers, direction systems, and packaging. Pillai emphasized that "the largest manufacturers of lithography machines are large customers for us." The company is also monitoring developments in the aerospace and defense sectors where investments are being made toward localizing manufacturing.
