Samsung Chooses Noida for Laptop Manufacturing

In a recent announcement on Monday, TM Roh, the president and head of the mobile experience (MX) business at Samsung, shared the company's upcoming plans to commence laptop production at its Noida plant later this year. This strategic decision reflects the increasing significance of India as a pivotal manufacturing hub for the South Korean electronics giant, solidifying the country's position as its second-largest manufacturing base.

Roh revealed that preparations are already in progress, underscoring the proactive measures being taken for the imminent laptop manufacturing operations. He credited the supportive policies of the Indian government for Samsung's expansion in the country. However, Roh acknowledged the need for certain optimizations at their facilities, including the Noida plant, in response to the global demand slowdown experienced in 2023.

"Noida is a crucial production base for Samsung, ranking as the second-largest base for the company. While there may be some adjustments at the plant to align with global demand, what remains constant is its significance as a base for us," stated Roh.

Emphasizing the Indian government's initiatives to reduce dependency on imported IT hardware, Roh mentioned the import restrictions imposed in August of the previous year on laptops, tablets, servers, and other items. This move aligned with the production-linked incentive (PLI) schemes, particularly for consumer electronics such as personal computers, laptops, and tablets.

In May 2023, the government introduced a revamped ₹17,000 crore PLI scheme for IT hardware, aimed at attracting manufacturers of laptops, tablets, and other hardware to India. This decision followed the initial version's lower allocation, which failed to gain traction. With India importing laptops and tablets worth about $8 billion annually, these initiatives aimed to bolster domestic production.

Roh assured that Samsung would continue its collaboration with the government to strengthen manufacturing in India. Notably, the company recently launched its flagship Galaxy S24 series smartphone, featuring significant artificial intelligence capabilities. This model is among the latest products to be manufactured locally. Samsung has been actively producing feature phones, smartphones, wearables, and tablets in India, reinforcing its commitment to the country's burgeoning electronics manufacturing sector.

News by Rahul Yelligetti