Nokia may set up plant in Tamil Nadu

Jukka Lehtela, director (India operations), accompanied by senior manager Josh Foulger and business development manager Vineet Sehgal, held discussions with the Chief Minister and other state government officials, a government release said.

In December last year, Nokia announced an investment of up to $150 million over the next four years for setting up a manufacturing facility in India, which would give employment to about 2000 people.

Nokia, which has 34 per cent market share in mobile handsets globally during the quarter ended December 2004 at 66.1 million units, is yet to announce the location for the proposed manufacturing facility.

Officials said Nokia was holding discussions with various state governments and a decision would be announced soon. The company is looking for a site that provides an ideal mix of good infrastructure, logistics and skilled manpower, they said.

Besides, the company is also expecting a host of tax incentives from the state government to kick-start its manufacturing activities.