Samsung Commences Laptop Manufacturing at Noida Plant in 2024

In a recent interaction on Monday, TM Roh, the president and head of the mobile experience (MX) business at Samsung, announced the company's plans to initiate laptop production at its Noida plant later this year. This strategic move underscores the growing importance of India as a key manufacturing hub for the South Korean electronics giant, positioning the country as its second-largest manufacturing base.

Roh revealed, "Preparations are already underway," emphasizing the proactive measures being taken for the upcoming laptop manufacturing operations. He credited the supportive policies of the Indian government for Samsung's expansion in the country. However, he acknowledged the need for certain optimizations at their facilities, including the Noida plant, due to the global demand slowdown experienced in 2023.

"Noida is a very important production base for Samsung. It is the second-largest base for Samsung. There may be some changes at the plant to optimize it as per global demand, but what remains unchanged is the fact that it is an important base for us," Roh stated.

Highlighting the Indian government's efforts 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, aiming to attract manufacturers of laptops, tablets, and other hardware to India. This came after the initial version, with a lower allocation, failed to gain traction. With India importing laptops and tablets worth about $8 billion annually, these initiatives aimed to boost 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.

LIVEMINT