South Korean electronics giant Samsung has started laptop production at its Greater Noida factory in India, marking a significant expansion of its manufacturing portfolio in the country. This development, reported by PTI, aligns with India’s push to become a global hub for electronics manufacturing under the ‘Make in India’ initiative.
“Samsung has expanded its manufacturing portfolio. It has started manufacturing laptops in India at its Greater Noida factory. It has plans to start manufacturing more devices in the country,” a source told PTI.
Samsung’s Greater Noida facility, established in 1996, has long been a cornerstone of the company’s operations in India. The plant, one of the first global electronics manufacturing facilities set up in the country, already produces feature phones, smartphones, wearables, and tablets. The addition of laptops to this lineup underscores Samsung’s commitment to diversifying its production capabilities in India.
The move follows earlier announcements by Samsung Electronics President and Head of Mobile eXperience (MX) Business, TM Roh, who in January 2024 indicated that preparations for laptop manufacturing were underway at the Noida plant. The facility has a production capacity of over 120 million smartphone units annually and is Samsung’s second-largest mobile manufacturing unit globally, trailing only its operations in South Korea. The company is also the second-largest exporter of phones from India, following Apple.
Union Electronics and IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw yesterday highlighted Samsung’s growing presence in India, stating, “Samsung continues to expand manufacturing of its advanced technology devices in Bharat, driven by talent and innovation.” Vaishnaw recently met with Samsung Southwest Asia President and CEO JB Park and Corporate Vice President SP Chun, emphasizing the company’s role in fostering innovation and job creation in India. Notably, Samsung’s research unit in the country employs over 7,000 engineers, further solidifying its investment in India’s tech ecosystem. This expansion comes at a time when India is actively encouraging domestic hardware production through tax incentives, financial support, and import restrictions.
In August 2023, the union government briefly imposed a ban on laptop imports, which was later replaced with a streamlined import registration system to promote local manufacturing. While competitors like Acer, HP, Lenovo, and Asus have leveraged the government’s Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for IT hardware, Samsung has opted not to participate, choosing instead to independently scale its operations.
Samsung’s decision to manufacture laptops locally is expected to reduce reliance on imports from its China and Vietnam plants, potentially lowering costs for consumers through savings on import duties. Currently, Samsung holds a strong position in India’s smartphone market, ranking second in both value and volume share, according to Counterpoint Research.
It also commands a 15% share of the tablet PC market, as per CyberMedia Research. However, the company has yet to establish a significant presence in India’s laptop market.
The Greater Noida factory’s laptop production line is reportedly capable of producing 60,000 to 70,000 units annually. This move positions Samsung alongside other global players like MSI, which recently began laptop manufacturing in Chennai.