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Lava mobiles will be exported once the company’s manufacturing plants coming up in Noida and Tirupati start production by next financial year, said Solomon Wheeler, the company’s VP and Head, Marketing and Communication.
A significant portion of production from the two new plants will be for the domestic market, he told newspersons.
At present, Lava mobiles are exported from China to Bangladesh, Thailand, Mexico, Pakistan and Nepal, he said.
Lava, an Indian mobile brand that reported revenue of ₹7,626 crore last fiscal year, will invest ₹2,615 crore to ramp up its existing manufacturing units in Noida and set up the two plants to increase annual production capacity to 216 million units in the next 5-8 years from 12 million.
“We plan to employ nearly 50,000 people in these two plants when there is full production. At present, the company employs around 15,000,” he said.
New design centreThe company is setting up a new design centre at Bengaluru at a cost of ₹200 crore, which is expected to be ready by 2017-end. “We will then move design capability from China to Bengaluru,” he said.
According to Luke Prakash, Senior Vice-President and Hub Head, South, Lava International, last fiscal year the mobile handset market in Tamil Nadu grew 15 per cent and the Lava brand recorded 67 per cent growth in sales in value terms.
This is due to more product types, including Tamil keypad mobile handsets for rural markets, increase in distributors, retail base and service centres, said Prakash.
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