Nokia production reaches 125 mn in India

GOA: On the back of the country's burgeoning mobile handset market, Nokia on Sunday said it has reached production volume of 125 million in over two years of operations at its manufacturing unit in Tamil Nadu.

To tap the potential of the Indian market the company has decided to further ramp up its production capacity and increase the headcount to over 13,000 at its manufacturing facility from the current level of 8,000, a Nokia official said.

We have reached production volume of 125 million mobile handsets in just over two years of operations at the factory in Sriperumbudur," Nokia India Operations Director Sachin Saxena said.

"Our decision to invest in local manufacturing has given us the opportunity to fuel the demand for the domestic and emerging markets while also allowing India to emerge as a global manufacturing hub, he added.

The company has already invested 210 million dollars in their manufacturing unit and would invest 75 million dollar in 2008 for additional ramp up at the plant.

With this, the total investment at the Nokia manufacturing plant and the Nokia Telecom Park reaches USD 285 million by December.

The company has termed the Indian plant as one of the best of nine facilities worldwide in terms cost and quality.

"Quality and cost wise, India is perhaps the best factory. Nokia is exporting Made in India cell phones to more than 50 countries," Nokia India Vice President and Managing Director D ShivaKumar said.