Samsung plans to invest KRW700 billion ($623 million) to double its handset production capacity at a facility in northern India to 10 million units a month.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the world’s largest smartphone vendor will double the size of its factory in Noida, Uttar Pradesh, to 240,000 square metres.

The plant is one of two Samsung production facilities in India – the other is located in Chennai.

India is the second largest smartphone market in the world, and smartphone shipments increased 14.8 per cent year-on-year to 27 million units in Q1 2017, according to IDC.

Despite China-based device vendors strengthening their grip on the Indian smartphone market, taking a 51.4 per cent share of shipments during the quarter, Samsung continued to lead with a 28 per cent market share.

Rival Apple recently started producing iPhone SE smartphones in India, with initial production of between 25,000 and 50,000 units a month. Contract manufacturer Wistron set up a facility in technology hub Bengaluru (Bangalore) to produce only iPhones.