A growing middle class with an appetite for consumer products is fueling manufacturing in India. Consequently, more and more manufacturers from the United States are setting up design and manufacturing centers in India. The latest to join this trend is antenna designer and manufacturer Laird Technologies. To further strengthen its proximity and support capabilities to key customers in the south Asian market, Laird has announced its plan to open a manufacturing facility in Chennai, India. In fact, groundbreaking for the new facility, which will be approximately 150,000 square feet, is planned for January 2007. Production is expected to begin by the middle of the year.

According to Laird, the Chennai manufacturing facility located in an industrial park will initially accommodate antenna production followed by EMI products for handset applications. A dual-band antenna for GSM platform along with other varieties is in the plans. When in full production, the capacity could reach more than 10 million per month.

In the future, the manufacturer plans to expand the scope of the facility to include design engineering, research and development, tooling and manufacturing of all the company's products used to support customers in India. Total personnel in 2007 is expected to be more than 400 with 10% to 15% representing the technical staff.

“The Indian market for electronic products is substantial and growing very quickly,” said Martin Rapp, CEO of Laird Technologies. “The establishment of this new facility and organization in Chennai is just the start of what we anticipate to be a much more extensive presence for Laird Technologies' in India in the future”

The company also will establish a local technical sales force to support the Indian market. 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 of India.

For more information, visit www.lairdtech.com.

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