Hyderabad, Sep 1 (IANS): American multinational technology company Corning Inc has chosen Telangana to set up their Gorilla Glass manufacturing facility, a first of its kind investment in India, the state government said on Friday.

The proposed manufacturing facility will manufacture cover glass for market leaders in the smartphone industry.

Headquartered in New York, Corning Inc is a Fortune 500 materials science company with expertise in glass science, ceramics science, and optical physics. With over 172 years of history, Corning has been at the forefront of innovations and are the inventors of Gorilla Glass, a strengthened glass that is widely used in portable devices such as mobile phones, tablets, and laptops.

The proposed investment of Rs 934 crore by Corning. along with their partners. will be a strategic investment and will play a pivotal role in driving the smartphone manufacturing ecosystem in Telangana and in India.

The proposed facility in Telangana is expected to generate employment for over 800 people, said a statement from the office of Telangana Information Technology, Electronics and Industries Minister K.T. Rama Rao.

Currently on a visit to the US, Rama Rao met John Bayne, Senior Vice President, Ravi Kumar, Global Operations Executive, and Sarah Cartmell, Director Government Affairs from Corning Inc. in New York.

The minister said that Telangana is fast emerging as a hub for electronics manufacturing as a result of the initiatives undertaken by the state in the last 9 years.

"Several electronics manufacturing companies are increasingly choosing Hyderabad as their destination. Foxconn made a significant investment in the State earlier this year, and now Corning’s investment in Telangana will propel a new era of smartphone manufacturing in Telangana and in India," he said.