HFCL invests ₹950 crore in optical fibre biz; to also offer AI & defence equipment

Telecom equipment maker HFCL which has traditionally built it's business on manufacturing Optical Fibre and Optical Fibre Cables now plans to expand its product portfolio into end-to-end AI, cloud and hyperscale data centres.

In order to cater to the rising demand for fiber and optical fibre cables globally, the company has allocated ₹950 crore to add six more production lines at their manufacturing facilities with a target to ramp up the roll out of fibre from 30 million fiber kilometres (fkm) to 40 million fkm and cable from 39 million fkm to 43.4 million fkm per annum.

MUST READ | AustralianSuper to invest AU$500 million more in National Investment and Infrastructure Fund

Speaking about the company's expansion plans Mahendra Nahata, MD, HFCL said, “We are expanding our capacities for manufacturing fibre, fibre optic cable, as well as integration, backward integration in terms of manufacturing of Preforms, which is the main raw material for manufacturing fibre. Total capex will be about ₹950 crore, which will be spent in the next two years."

Defence is another sector HFCL plans to expand and monetise on by FY28, the company is currently testing multiple products and intends to supply  Radars, Shells, Surveillance equipment, Ammunition and Anti-Drone products. 

DON'T MISS | The geography of Japan's ₹1 lakh crore investments: Which Indian states are winning?

"We have acquired 1000-acre land parcel in Andhra Pradesh, will manufacture defence equipment like jammers, radars, anti-drone products, few trials scheduled for August 2026 and revenue from Defence Business will start showing in FY28," Nahata added.