Chennai, Mar 12 (UNI) Nokia, the global leader in mobile communications, today announced doubling of its handset production to 50 million units a year at its Sriperumbudur plant, near here, from June.

Mr Jukka Lehtela, the outgoing Director of Nokia's India operations, told reporters that eight additional factories at its manufacturing plant would become operational by early next year.

He also announced that Mr Sachin Saxena would succeed him as Director, India Operations.

The plant, which celebrated yesterday its first anniversary of manufacturing in India, produced 25 million handsets in 2006.

Nokia would also start manufacturing components from May this year, he said.

Nokia India and its suppliers would create more than 20,000 direct job opportunities as part of the 150 million dollar investments, one of the biggest in South Asia, he said.

The Nokia plant at Sriperumbudur, the company's 15th in the world, at present employs 3,900 people.

Nokia's export to South East Asia, West Asia and Africa, last year was placed at about 35 per cent of its production.

The Sriperumbudur plant would be explanded from the present 30,000 sqm to 53,000 sqm by July, the outgoing Director said.

UNI