To further strengthen its proximity and support capabilities to key customers in the South Asian market, Laird Technologies, a designer and manufacturer of antennas, electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding, telematics and thermal management solutions, has announced its plan to open a manufacturing facility in Chennai, India. In fact, ground breaking 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 will initially accommodate antenna production followed by EMI products for handset applications. 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.

“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.