MC EXCLUSIVE Apple supplier Corning to begin India Gorilla cover-glass production in first half of 2026 with JV partner Optiemus, eyes exports

Corning, Optiemus executives

Apple supplier Corning Incorporated is making a significant push into India’s fast-expanding electronics manufacturing ecosystem, calling the country’s shift from handset assembly to deeper component production “indisputable” as it officially launches its first Gorilla Glass finishing plant in Tamil Nadu through its joint venture with Optiemus Infracom, Bharat Innovative Glass Technologies Private Limited (BIG TECH).

The US glass major and its Indian partner plan to supply all major smartphone makers operating in the country, with future expansions into tablets, laptops and wearables. The plant will begin production in the first half of 2026 and scale up to 30 million units a year.

Corning, which works with Apple, Samsung, Vivo, Oppo, OnePlus and other smartphone makers globally, has also set its sights on exports from India in the long term, with the company emphasising that the venture is underpinned by “high-quality” investment to enable high-quality manufacturing, Andrew Beck, Vice President and General Manager, Corning Gorilla Glass, told Moneycontrol.

“Our objective with the joint venture with Optiemus is to strategically set up this manufacturing hub and support this growing ecosystem within India as part of a larger global hub. So certainly, that will support India’s desire to grow this ecosystem and become a global supplier,” Beck said.

“It’s indisputable that India will continue to be a growing hub of mobile electronics manufacturing.”

Initially, the Corning–Optiemus facility will cater to smartphone makers in India, with exports to follow.

Asked whether the joint venture will supply finished cover glass to iPhone maker Apple, Beck said, “We hope to supply everyone. We plan to sell to all OEMs — globally and regionally. We are just building out the ecosystem and the hub here in India.”

He added that while mobile phones are the immediate opportunity, the roadmap extends well beyond: “Mobile phones are the first opportunity, given India’s position in that market. Then we can expand to tablets, notebooks — anywhere strong, durable cover glass is needed.”

A finished cover glass is a fully processed, strengthened, shaped, and coated glass panel that sits atop a phone or laptop display, ready for assembly. It involves cutting, strengthening, coating (e.g. oleophobic, anti-reflective), and quality checks.

Corning, with its flagship Gorilla Glass, is one of the top companies in supplying such cover glass for consumer devices.

An official Tamil Nadu government statement from January 2024 said the joint venture would invest $120.4 million, though the Corning executive declined to disclose the investment figure for the facility.

Beck said the investment and expansion for the new facility will be executed in two phases. “Our focus again is high-quality investment to enable high-quality manufacturing, and working together with Optiemus to introduce cutting-edge technologies and processes into India to support this global hub,” he noted.

India is now the world’s second-largest mobile phone manufacturer, and Corning expects that position to strengthen. The company’s global strategy aligns with this momentum.

“Corning’s strategy — and we share this vision with Optiemus — is to bring our manufacturing close to where it’s needed. That’s our global strategy: manufacture close to customers and manufacturing bases. So that’s certainly what we’re doing here. We bring the technology, and Optiemus brings the local understanding, knowledge of the market, and the ability to interface with it,” Beck explained.

A key aim is to build supply chain efficiency. “The idea is supply chain efficiency,” he said.

Optiemus Executive Chairman Ashok Gupta echoed the advantages of proximity. Being closer to customers, he said, improves logistics, lowers costs, and shortens time-to-market. “It is not just cost — comfort and convenience matter,” he told Moneycontrol.

The joint venture, Bharat Innovative Glass Technologies (BIG Tech), will inaugurate the Corning Gorilla Glass finishing facility on December 5. Located at SIPCOT Pillaipakkam Industrial Park in Tamil Nadu’s Kanchipuram district, the plant — whose groundbreaking took place in June 2024 — will have an initial capacity of 30 million cover-glass pieces and is expected to generate employment for more than 500 people.

Gupta said BIG Tech has received incentives from the Tamil Nadu government and from the central government’s SPECS scheme. “For Phase one, we are satisfied with incentives from central and state governments. But more is needed going forward,” he said.

Beck added that India’s push into electronics components is creating major new opportunities. “With thoughtful government planning and investment, there are ongoing opportunities to grow beyond assembly into component manufacturing and move further up the value chain. Without a doubt, I see a big opportunity for India,” he said.

On tariffs, Beck said the company does not attempt to forecast policy shifts. “Tariffs are hard to predict, so we don’t spend much time predicting them. Our strategy of localized manufacturing serves as a hedge against tariffs. We focus on what we can control — highest quality, best technology — and let policymakers handle policy,” he added.