Prime Minister Narendra Modi and South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Monday inaugurated Samsung’s phone factory in Uttar Pradesh’s Noida, which is being dubbed the “world’s largest mobile factory”. The new facility is spread over 35 acres in Noida’s Sector 81.
The mobile phone plant can produce nearly 12 crore phones every year and will create 15,000 job opportunities. The plant in Noida was set up in 1996 where the company manufactured consumer products, including smartphones, refrigerators and television sets. In 2017, Samsung announced a new investment of Rs 4,915 crore for the development of the plant.
The new facility will strengthen the relations between the two countries, Modi said at the opening ceremony. “We invite trusted global brands like Samsung to be a part of the new Indian business culture,” Modi said. “In the past four years, the number of mobile manufacturing factories has gone up from two to 120. This has given employment to over 4 lakh youth.”
Addressing the gathering, Moon hoped that with the completion of the plant, there will be more jobs for Indians. “I hope smartphones produced by this plant are exported to more countries, strengthening cooperation between other countries,” Moon said. “India and Korea have complementary strengths and both the countries will be helpful to each other in every way.”
He said the plant and what it represents for the two countries will go down in the history of bilateral relations between India and Korea.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Adityanath said India and South Korea have a strong trade and cultural relationship and invited new ventures to invest in the state. He claimed that the factory will provide 35,000 jobs directly and indirectly, and the state government will ensure that the unit gets the infrastructure it needs.
Moon arrived in New Delhi on Sunday on a four-day visit to India. Earlier on Monday, the South Korean president visited Gandhi Smriti in New Delhi where he paid tribute to Mahatma Gandhi.
“My new southern policy is aligned with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Act East Policy,” Moon said at a conference. “Both the policies will come to completion when prosperity spreads across the whole of Asia. India and Korea have a long-standing history of exchange, you are a friend who helped us in time of need.”
Moon said South Korea wished to participate in the Indian infrastructural projects, including the government’s plan to build 100 smart cities and construct an industrial corridor linking the major cities.
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