 Laird to set up facility in Chennai
 Laird Technologies, a global leader in the design and manufacture of antennas, electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding, telematics and thermal management solutions,
has announced the establishment of a manufacturing facility in the Nokia SEZ (Special Economic Zone) in Sriperumbudur, near
Chennai.
This is Laird Technologies' first manufacturing facility in India, and a local technical sales team to support the Indian market is also being established.
Laird Technologies will invest close to $ 20 million in all in this new facility which is expected to be operational in mid-2007, said Sri Talpallikar, managing director - India of
Laird Technologies, in Chennai.
Laird Technologies currently provides its customers in India with products for use in mobile phones, telecommunications infrastructure equipment, computer hardware and
automotive electronics from facilities outside India. With the setting up of a manufacturing facility in Chennai, the company will be able to support its growing Indian customer
base more effectively.
A letter of commitment was signed on November 3, 2006, by Sri Talpallikar and Jukka Lehtela, director - India Operations of Nokia, in the presence of The Duke of York,
Prince Andrew, United Kingdom Special Representative for Trade and Investment, and Nigel Keen, chairman of The Laird Group PLC. The foundation stone of the facility was
unveiled by the Duke.
Spread over an area of 15,000 sq m, Laird Technologies' new, state-of-the-art manufacturing facility will employ between 1,200-1,500 people when all product lines are
launched. It will have an initial investment of $ 8 million in phase-1. In the first phase, it would essentially supply products to Nokia's plant in the SEZ at
Sriperumbudur.
The Laird manufacturing facility will initially produce antennas and EMI products for cellular handset applications. It plans to expand the scope of the facility to include design
engineering, research and development, tooling and manufacturing of all the company's products.
 On the choice of Chennai for its India expansion, Sri Talpallikar said, "Availability of a skilled workforce, support from the Tamil Nadu government, the presence of good
logistics, excellent infrastructure facilities, lower costs and our 'close to the customer' strategy were reasons for the choice of Chennai as our first location in India."
Laird would look at the possibility of being a supplier for other companies as well at a later stage. Possibilities in Chennai and India were immense, Sri said, pointing to the
fact that Laird had six units in China. India might also have that number judging from the potential. Laird would look at the possibility of facilities in northern and eastern India
besides an additional facility in south India, he said.
Jukka Lehtela, director - India Operations, Nokia, said, "Laird's presence in the Nokia Telecom Park will help bring efficiencies into our supply chain system and further
strengthen the Telecom Park's capabilities as a robust telecom ecosystem. Nokia shares a strong alliance with Laird and looks forward to sharing the India opportunity with
them."
While Nokia would have space for eight suppliers to its facility at Sriperumbudur, he hoped that they would meet its demand in
Chennai.
Commenting on Laird's expansion into India, Nigel Keen, chairman, The Laird Group PLC, said in Chennai, "India is a key strategic market for us and we have been steadily
increasing our business here. The Indian market for electronic products is substantial and growing at a rapid pace and we expect to expand our presence here in the coming
years. The manufacturing facility in the Nokia SEZ is the first step in this direction and helps us to meet our 'close to the customer' strategy."
R Rangaraj
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