Nokia invests $285 m in India mobile plant

The original estimate for investment in this plant, started about four years ago, was $150 million, the company said at the fourth Nokia Strategy Summit held here. It also announced that its Chennai plant which is the largest among its nine manufacturing facilities in the world, has crossed cumulative production volumes of 350 million handsets.

The facility marked another milestone by starting exports to North America and Europe, adding to its list of 70 countries where it exports from India.

Addressing the media, Nokia India Operations Director Sachin Saxena said “Achieving production volumes of 350 million and exporting to some of world’s biggest mature markets in a short span of time is testimony of world-class manufacturing operation that Nokia runs in India.”  The Chennai facility currently employs 8,000 people of which 70 per cent are women. Componnent manufacturers too have set up up shop and Saxena claimed said Nokia Telecom Park houses five global component manufacturers who together have invested $200 million for making parts.