Foxconn provides PCB SMT line for Telangana government's T-Works facility

The Telangana government has set up a hardware prototyping facility called T-Works in Hyderabad to help startups create, test and fine-tune product designs, which can be used in different sectors including healthcare, industrial automation, furniture, and drones.

The factory was inaugurated by Foxconn Chairman and CEO Young Liu and KT Rama Rao, minister of Information Technology in the Telangana government. It was also attended by CEOs, founders, entrepreneurs, artists, and hobbyists from different countries. 

Spread over an area of 78,000 sq ft in a 4.79-acre campus, the facility houses labs with precision equipment provided by large global companies. For instance, Taiwanese electronics manufacturer Foxconn has donated a SMT (Surface Mount Technology) line, used for assembling high-end electronics circuit boards also known as PCBs. 

In addition to the PCB fab, the facility also includes a metal shop, electronics lab, laser cutting & engraving, wood shop, advanced rapid prototyping, testing lab, 3D printing, and ceramic studio. 

“T-Works has developed significant products including the ventilator, electric vehicles, and agricultural innovation in collaboration with rural innovators using state-of-the-art equipment,” said Rao. 

Over 300 users from startups and large firms have built mainstream products at T-Works, said Jayesh Ranjan, Principal Secretary, Industries & Commerce, Information Technology, Government of Telangana. 

“We believe that design and prototyping are the essential ingredients for building a successful manufacturing capability, and we are proud to support our startups in achieving this goal,” added Ranjan. 

Minister Rao on his part also highlighted the importance of a long-term association with Foxconn in the future. 

“T-Works as a concept is incredible. With such a facility, people can do so many things. I am impressed by the speed with which this world-class facility has been built. I am amazed by the kind of development that has happened in Telangana in the last 7 years,” said Foxconn’s Liu. 

Liu also met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday and discussed how they can enhance India’s tech and innovation ecosystem. Foxconn is looking to ramp up electronics manufacturing in India and is setting up a new semiconductor manufacturing and design facility in Gujarat in a joint venture with Vedanta Group. 

Bloomberg reported on Thursday that Foxconn is planning to invest close to $700 million in a new plant near Bengaluru to ramp up production of iPhones as it looks to reduce dependence on China. 

It is not yet clear whether the SMT line donated to T-Works is part of Foxconn's planned investment in India. 

Most large companies have their own R&D centres in India, which are accessible only to their engineers and researchers. Facilites such as T-Works will provide high-end equipment to researchers and startups who want to build and test prototypes. 

The T-Works prototyping facility has over 200 industry-grade tools worth ₹11.5 crore. It is expected to grow by 10 times over the next 12 months. It also has a 60-member team to guide startups, said Sujai Karampuri, CEO T-Works. 

The facility will be accessible to open to anyone who wants to make and innovate. “Innovators can come from anywhere, from startups, from MSME, from large corporations, schools, colleges, rural India,” said Karampuri.