Corning, a global leader in high-tech glass manufacturing, is expanding its presence in India by focusing on the fast-growing mobile consumer electronics and life sciences sectors, according to a senior company official.
While its automotive and optical fiber businesses currently dominate revenue in India, Corning is making significant moves to tap into new growth areas. Originally known for supplying glass for Thomas Edison’s lightbulb, the company now provides advanced glass technologies for a variety of industries, including mobile device screens, TV displays, semiconductors, space telescopes, and glass packaging for laboratories and vaccines.
“We waited for the right ecosystem to take shape in India, and now that global players are establishing manufacturing operations for smartphones, we want to be a part of that supply chain. India is emerging as a rising star, and we want to contribute to that growth,” said Gokhan Doran, Vice President and General Manager of Corning International.
Corning has pledged over ₹1,000 crore to establish a joint venture with Optiemus Infracom, Bharat Innovative Glass (BIG) Technologies, in Tamil Nadu. This venture will produce finished cover-glass components for mobile consumer electronics.
In addition, the company is investing ₹500 crore in Hyderabad to build a borosilicate glass facility for manufacturing vials and tubes for the life sciences sector, with operations expected to start in the first half of 2025.
According to Sudhir N Pillai, Corning’s Managing Director and President for India, Middle East, and Africa, the BIG Technologies plant for Gorilla Glass finishing is set to be operational in the second half of 2025, creating between 500 to 1,000 jobs. The SGD Corning facility for Velocity Vial production will employ around 500 people.
Corning has also launched its Global Capability Centre in Pune, with an initial capacity of 100 employees. “We expect to have around 50 people in Pune this year, and the center should be fully operational by the end of next year,” said Pillai, adding that Corning’s various business segments in India are at different stages of development.
Pillai noted that Corning’s automotive and optical fiber divisions remain the largest contributors to the company’s business in India, while mobile consumer electronics and life sciences are poised to become the fastest-growing sectors.
