CHENNAI: Production at Nokia's factory in India has been hit after workers began a strike demanding higher pay, the Business Standard reported on Wednesday.

The newspaper said the strike began on Tuesday after employees' talks with the management failed. The facility, near Chennai in south India, caters to local and export markets and employs 8,000 people.

Nokia did not comment on the strike and the reported production loss, but said in a statement the company on Monday discussed a long-term wage settlement with the employees through their trade union.

The company said the wage deal offered to employees was among the highest in the region in similar industries.

Nokia, the world's top cell phone maker, had said in April mobile handset production at the India plant had crossed 350 million handsets over its four years of operations.