Date:04/11/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/11/04/stories/2006110402381700.htm

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Business

Laird's unit in Nokia SEZ

Staff Correspondent

To invest $18-20 m over three to five years

Signs `Letter of commitment' with Nokia

The unit will become operational by August 2007

PHOTO: BIJOY GHOSH

SETS UP SHOP: Prince Andrew (second from right), Duke of York, with Nigel J. Keen (extreme right), Chairman, Laird plc, Jukka Lehtela (extreme left), Director-India Operations, Nokia, and Sri Talpallikar, Managing Director, Laird Technologies-India, at the unveiling of the foundation of Laird's first manufacturing facility in India, in Chennai, on Friday.

CHENNAI: Laird Technologies, a global leader in the design and manufacture of antennas, electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding, telematics and thermal management solutions, will set up a manufacturing facility in the Nokia SEZ (Special Economic Zone) in Sriperumbudur near Chennai.

This is Laird's first manufacturing facility in India.

Laird Technologies at present imports products from its facilities abroad. These products are used in mobile phones, telecommunications infrastructure equipment, computer hardware and automotive electronics. The Chairman of Laird Group plc, Nigel Keen, told reporters here on Friday that by setting up a manufacturing facility here, the company would be able to support its growing Indian customer base more effectively.

Sri Talpallikar, Managing Director-India, Laird Technologies, and Jukka Lehtela, Director (India Operations), Nokia, signed a `Letter of Commitment' in the presence of His Royal Highness Prince Andrew, Duke of York and United Kingdom Special Representative for Trade and Investment. Prince Andrew later unveiled the foundation of the facility.

Sri Talpallikar said the facility would come up on 1.5 lakh sq. ft. The company would invest $18-20 million over three to five years and employ 1,200-1,500 people by the time all product lines were launched. The facility was expected to become operational by August 2007, he said.

Sri Talpallikar said the unit would initially produce antennas and EMI products for cellular handset applications. The company planned to expand the scope of the facility to include design engineering, research and development, tooling and manufacturing of its products.

Mr. Lehtela said Laird's presence in the Nokia Telecom Park would help bring efficiency into Nokia's supply chain system and further strengthen the Telecom Park's capabilities as a robust telecom ecosystem.