"Semiconductor Chip Production Set to Begin in Dholera by December 2026: Vaishnaw"

Ashwini Vaishnaw, Union Minister for Information Technology and Electronics, announced on Wednesday that India's inaugural semiconductor fabrication unit, established by Tata Electronics in collaboration with a Taiwanese partner, is scheduled to produce its maiden chip from the Dholera Special Investment Region (SIR) by December 2026. Vaishnaw made this declaration during a media interaction held alongside the groundbreaking ceremony for the fab unit at Dholera SIR.

The semiconductor facility, a joint venture between Tata Electronics and Taiwan's Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation, is anticipated to witness an investment of approximately ₹90,000 crore. Minister Vaishnaw underscored that the unit will operate on "100 per cent green power" and access 100 MLD (million litres per day) of water from the Narmada River.

Highlighting the significance of the moment, Vaishnaw revealed that the foundation stones for three semiconductor projects, including CG Power's initiative in Sanand and Tata Electronics' endeavor in Morigaon, Assam, are being laid within 15 days of the cabinet's approval of ₹1.25-lakh crore worth of projects. Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually inaugurated the foundation-laying ceremony for these three semiconductor projects on Wednesday.

Micron Technologies, as the pioneer semiconductor producer establishing a base in Sanand, Gujarat, is poised to manufacture its inaugural chip by December 2024. While Micron's memory chips are geared towards various devices such as mobile phones and laptops, CG Power's unit and Japan's Renesas Electronics will specialize in producing chips suitable for satellites, rockets, and other niche applications.

"The chips manufactured at Dholera will serve a wide variety of industries ranging from power electronics to defence electronics," Vaishnaw remarked, indicating that the facility will focus on producing 28, 50, and 55 nanometre chips. Additionally, the semiconductor unit in Assam operated by Tata will prioritize electric vehicles and the automobile sector, with Vaishnaw affirming the indigenous nature of the technology to be employed.

Vaishnaw projected India's ascent among the top five semiconductor manufacturing nations by 2029, citing plans to domestically manufacture equipment for five out of the eight categories essential in semiconductor manufacturing.

HBL