Nokia Networks' Chennai factory reaches two million production milestone

Source: Nokia - Press Releases - May 13, 2015

• State-of-the-art facility produces mobile communication infrastructure equipment for operators around the world including India, the US, and Europe

• Positioned as one of Nokia's major manufacturing hubs

• Reinforces the company's continued commitment to 'Make in India' initiative

Chennai, India - After nearly seven years in operation, Nokia Networks' Chennai factory has reached a major milestone. The facility has manufactured over two million components for telecommunications networks, of which about a quarter have been used for 4G technology. The announcement was made today during an event attended by Thiru P. Thangamani, Minister of Industries, Government of Tamil Nadu, Shri as well as Amitabh Kant, Secretary for Industrial Policy and Promotion, government officials, European delegates and customers.

With a workforce of 1,200 highly skilled employees, Nokia Networks' Chennai factory is the largest manufacturing facility in the Indian telecommunications equipment manufacturing sector, and a strategic hub for Nokia's global operations. The company has invested approximately INR 500 crore since 2008 in the 140,000 square-meter facility, which produces and distributes mobile broadband products for advanced technologies such as LTE in domestic and global markets. The manufactured items include state-of-the-art Flexi Multiradio 10 Base Stations, system modules and filters, as well as core and transport network elements.

Click to Tweet: Production milestone: @nokianetworks Chennai factory reached 2 mn http://nokia.ly/1KDHRNY  #NetworksPerform #Nokia150years #makeinindia

Chennai Factory Highlights:

• Established in 2008, the facility is equipped with cutting-edge technology and fully automated systems
• Manufactures and distributes components for Nokia's complete portfolio, from 2G to 4G, including radio and core network equipment
• The products manufactured are intended for both local and global markets, with close to 50% being exported
• The Chennai facility is a world-class manufacturing location and has won the Rajeev Gandhi National Quality Award, the Economic Times-India Manufacturing Excellence Award (ET-IMEA), and the FICCI National Quality Systems Excellence Award
• Several quality initiatives have been rolled out such as Kaizen and Six Sigma; the facility is TL 9000 certified for quality in the telecommunications supply chain and participates in Nokia Networks' LEAN and Industry 4.0* transformation activities
• The facility is also ISO 27001 certified for Information Security Management and ISO 14001 for efficient environment management
• The two million unit milestone is reached in the same year that Nokia celebrates its 150th anniversary
• It has outstanding quality capabilities and is rated by the EFQM** assessment committee with 3 stars for excellence

Sandeep Girotra, Vice President and Head of India Market at Nokia Networks, said: "We are proud to have reached the two million milestone in our Chennai factory. It is a great testimony to India's potential in electronic manufacturing, and the company is a key pioneer supporting the government's 'Make in India' vision. Our Chennai operations have successfully helped our customers meet challenges around technology evolution while balancing their investment objectives. We will remain strongly focused on manufacturing excellence through quality and innovation, providing operators with best-in-class mobile broadband equipment and supporting India's transformation into a manufacturing destination."

Karl Kirschenhofer, Vice President, Manufacturing Operations at Nokia Networks, said: "Our Chennai facility is a world-class factory similar to our other global factories and makes cost-efficient deliveries possible to operators around the globe including India, the US, and Europe. In addition, it is providing industrialization and engineering services to support the development and introduction of new products. The Chennai operation has grown rapidly over the years with the support from our employees, strong supplier network, and the right impetus to the manufacturing sector from the government."

Did you know?
Nokia Networks has a long-standing presence in India and was the first telecommunications vendor to establish an extensive manufacturing unit in the country. In 2013, the Chennai factory was awarded the prestigious Rajiv Gandhi National Quality Award and the Economics Times-India Manufacturing Excellence Award, as well as the FICCI Quality Systems Excellence Awards for Manufacturing in 2014. The company is also a key contributor to the government's national program 'Make in India'.

About Nokia
By focusing on the human possibilities of technology, Nokia embraces the connected world to help people thrive. Our three businesses are leaders in their fields. Nokia Networks provides broadband infrastructure software and services, HERE provides mapping, navigation and location intelligence, and Nokia Technologies provides advanced technology development and licensing.
www.nokia.com

Nokia Networks, which provides broadband infrastructure, software and services, operates at the forefront of our industry. From the first ever call on GSM to the first call on LTE, we have set the pace of innovation, a record that continues with future technologies such as 5G. Together with our operator customers, who serve close to 5 billion subscribers, we are embracing the opportunity of the connected world and helping to solve its challenges.
http://networks.nokia.com/

*Industry 4.0 refers to the fourth industrial revolution which promotes the computerization of the manufacturing industry. (The first industrial revolution was the mechanization of production using steam power, followed by the second industrial revolution which introduced mass production using electrical current, followed by the digital revolution which uses electronics and IT to automate production even further.)

** EFQM stands for European Foundation for Quality Management.