Korean electronics major Samsung will invest in setting up smart manufacturing capabilities at its mobile phone plant in Noida to make production more competitive, the company’s global head for mobile business said here on Monday.

Samsung Electronics President and Head of Mobile eXperience Business T M Roh, in response to a PTI query on the company’s investment plan in India, said that the company will continue to invest in research and development facilities in the country.

“We will continue our investment to bring the optimised and or smart factory to the Noida facilities. We will continue our investment there. I believe that our investment for the smart factory will bring competitiveness in the production,” Roh said.

The company started a manufacturing and R&D centre in India in 1996 and now has close to 70,000 employees in the country.

Samsung now has its second biggest manufacturing facility in the world at Noida and biggest research and development centre at Bengaluru in India.

The company this year started manufacturing its premium Galaxy S23 series in India.

“Samsung India has been focussing on make in India, make for India. We are not only meeting the domestic need but also use it as a hub for export,” Roh said.

He said the company is collaborating with local vendors in India for mobile chargers and components like mechanics.

“It could not have been possible to be competitive without collaboration with local partners. The technology collaboration will continue with local partners. We have products for export, which are done in close collaboration with local vendors. In the case of OLED display manufacturing, we have been closely working with local vendors,” Roh said.

Samsung has around 10,000 employees at its R&D centres across India, out of which the largest base of close to 3,500 is located at its Bengaluru centre.