industry

Syska Group inks JV with two foreign cos to start camera module factory


NEW DELHI: Syska Group has formed a joint venture with Taiwanese component manufacturer Suyin Optronics and Singapore’s Biometronic to start India’s first camera module factory at an investment of Rs 200 crore to be implemented in a phased manner.

Syska Group has 49% stake in the company while Biometronic has 41% and Suyin Optronics has 10% in the new entity.

The new company expects Rs 1,800-1,900-crore revenue by the end of three years, and has already signed up Chinese and domestic handset vendors for supply, Rajesh Uttamchandani, director at Syska, said.

“We are now further diversifying into mobile manufacturing,” he said, adding that Syska already has three production units for cables, LED lights and power banks.

The new factory will make camera modules for mobile handsets starting November, and will later make modules for the automotive industry (rear view camera), medical, security industry (CCTV) and defence industry (drones).

Prabhu Sridharan, managing director at Biometronic, told ET, that the factory will initially have an installed production capacity of 5 million pieces per month and an expansion plan to set up the first COB (chip-on-board) plant for image sensors with an installed capacity of 10 million pieces per month.

Under phase two, the venture will get into high levels of local manufacturing at an investment Rs 70 crore, which will be scaled up under phase three and will entail an investment of Rs 100 crore.

“We have brought in technology into India. India has built strength around mobile assembly and the next phase is about building components ecosystem,” said Sridharan.

He said that camera is one of the main USPs of a phone in India. “The whole idea is not just to assemble but to manufacture it from the start.” Uttamchandani said that around 600-700 skilled employees will be hired for this facility in Noida.

Under the partnership, Biometronic will deliver technology from partners to India, while Syska will help other companies in marketing, finance and help bring the product much faster to the market. “Our group is already into mobile distribution, so we have strengths,” said Uttamchandani.

A Center of Excellence (COE) will also be set up to enable indigenous design and development capability which will constitute a collaborative effort with the industry to develop solutions for optical, mechanical and sensor packaging throughputs.

“The Centre will be operational from January. It is for the industry. We are in talks with possible partners,” Sridharan said, adding that the government has recently cleared a plan to legalise drones in India and this gives Suyin Optronics an added advantage to manufacture drone cameras in India.

Over a period of time, Suyin and Biometronic plan to make several other mobile components in India, and may look at setting up a new facility in Noida as the demand grows, Sridharan explained.





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