Corning Eyes Growth in India's Mobile and Life Sciences, Announces Major Investment

Corning, a high-tech glass company, is optimistic about growth in India's mobile consumer electronics and life sciences sectors, according to a senior company official. Currently, the automotive and optical fibre segments are the largest revenue sources for Corning in India.

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Corning's journey began with providing glass covers for bulbs invented by Thomas Alva Edison. Over time, it has diversified into various verticals, offering glass technology for mobile displays, television screens, semiconductor manufacturing, space telescopes, and lab packaging.

Investment in Mobile Consumer Electronics

The company has committed over Rs 1,000 crore to establish a joint venture with Optiemus Infracom called Bharat Innovative Glass (BIG) Technologies in Tamil Nadu. This venture aims to produce finished cover-glass parts for mobile consumer electronics.

Gokhan Doran, Corning International's division vice president and general manager, stated, "We waited for the ecosystem to be established in India where we are seeing now global players are already establishing footprints to manufacture smartphones, and we just want to be a part of the supply chain. India is now becoming a rising star. We want to just be part of the story."

Expansion into Life Sciences

Corning is also setting up a borosilicate glass unit in Hyderabad with an initial investment of Rs 500 crore. This facility will produce vials and tubes for the life sciences sector and is expected to become operational in the first half of 2025.

Sudhir N Pillai, managing director and president for India, Middle East and Africa at Corning, mentioned that the Hyderabad plant will employ around 500 people. Additionally, the BIG Technologies plant will focus on Gorilla Glass finishing and create between 500 to 1,000 jobs.

Global Capability Centre in Pune

Pillai also highlighted that Corning has initiated its Global Capability Centre (GCC) in Pune. This centre currently has a capacity of 100 people. "The GCC Pune should have around 50 people this year and by the end of next year it should be ready with full capacity," he said.

Pillai noted that all Corning's businesses in India are at different stages of maturity. He emphasised that while automotive and optical fibre verticals are currently the biggest contributors to Corning's business in India, mobile consumer electronics and life sciences are poised to be the fastest-growing sectors.

With these strategic investments and expansions, Corning aims to strengthen its presence in India's burgeoning market across various high-tech sectors.