After a delay of over 18 months, the TCL Group is set to start production of mobile phone and television display panels at its Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh, factory during Q4/2021 and is looking to hire around 1,000 employees.
The company had announced an investment of approximately USD 219 million in September 2019 to start manufacturing display modules in India. The plan was to start Phase-I operation in Q2/2020, but the project encountered difficulties like shortages of raw materials, workers and equipment due to the pandemic.
The TCL group company China Star Optoelectronics Technology will manufacture eight million 32" to 75" TV panels and 30 million 3.5" to 8" mobile phone panels annually. Out of 11 production lines, five will be allocated to TV panels and six to displays for mobile phones.
This will be the second largest unit of handset display assembly in India after Samsung, whereas rivals Holitech, TXD and LCE currently have very scarce output. The 2,80,000 sq mtr facility in Tirupati is TCL’s largest investment outside its home market so far.