MUMBAI: Samsung Telecommunication, one of the fastest growing handset companies with global leadership in design and technology, has finally started production of its GSM handsets at its Manesar plant in Gurgaon, Haryana.

The product that marked the roll out, SGH X-200, is a flip open phone weighing 77 gm, X-200 is loaded with Tri Band facility, IrDA Connectivity, SMS/ EMS / MMS, JAVA (MIDP 2.0) / WAP 1.2.1, 40 Polyphonic sound and 65k Colour LCD Screen. The phone also has a loudspeaker, a sound recorder which records messages for 30 seconds duration and large memory space to store 1000 entries, states an official release.

Flagging off this unit, Samsung Telecommunication India MD H. C. Ryu said, "Indian GSM phone market is growing at over 60 per cent every year and Samsung is strategically planning to be one of the leading players in this sector. Our new manufacturing unit at Manesar is a major step in this direction which will not only provide us the price advantage to produce locally but will also reduce time to market our new models."

Set up with an investment of US$ 15 million, this fully automated and highly sophisticated manufacturing unit will manufacture 1 million handsets per annum, which will be stepped up to produce 20 million units per annum by 2010, the release adds.

Also in the pipeline are plans to manufacture an array of Samsung GSM handsets at Manesar. All these products will be customised with the help of Samsung India Software Operations unit (SISO), Samsung's R&D Centre located at Bangalore.

Being Samsung's third overseas handset manufacturing facility in the world after China and Brazil, this unit will cater to local markets need and act as manufacturing hub for South West Asia.

Outlining Samsung's future plans, Ryu said, "We are highly bullish on the Indian market. With production going on stream, we are now going to expand our product portfolio, work heavily on product localization, invest more in marketing campaigns and expand our distribution network. This is our effort to come closer to the Indian consumers where we will continue to provide them with technological and design innovations in mobile phones."