From charkha to chips: Industry leaders hail PM Modi’s semiconductor initiative

New Delhi: Industry leaders on Wednesday said that the groundbreaking endeavour under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership to make India a global semiconductor hub will drive innovation and economic growth, while securing our technological sovereignty.

The country has reached a significant milestone that solidifies its position as a prominent participant in the worldwide semiconductor sector.

“It has been more than 40 years since our initial conception of this goal; however, it continues to remain an unrealised expectation owing to the previous administration's failure to acknowledge the potential of the semiconductor industry,” said Dr Ajai Chowdhry, HCL Founder and Chairman of EPIC Foundation.

According to Ashok Chandak, President of the India Electronics and Semiconductor Association (IESA), the proactive support from the Gujarat government, MeitY and Assam government in expediting three crucial ventures is commendable.

“With Tata Electronics and Renesas Electronics Corporation, a key member of IESA, leading this initiative, we proudly witness the culmination of collective efforts towards fostering indigenous semiconductor manufacturing,” Chandak said in a statement.

“From charkha to chips and ancient Harappan civilisation to modern digital transformation powered by semiconductors, we are heading towards a developed India," he added.

PM Modi laid the foundation stone through a virtual interaction for three facilities, including a Rs 91,000 crore semiconductor fabrication unit by Tata Electronics with Taiwan's Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation (PSMC) in Dholera, Gujarat.

Another chip assembly, testing, monitoring, and packing (ATMP) unit with a capacity of 48 million per day by Tata Semiconductor Assembly and Test Pvt Ltd (TSAT) in Morigaon, Assam, will be set up with an investment of Rs 27,000 crore.

The third semiconductor ATMP unit for specialised chips will be set up by CG Power, in partnership with Renesas Electronics Corporation, Japan and Stars Microelectronics, Thailand in Sanand, Gujarat, with a capacity of 15 million per day at an investment of Rs 7,600 crore.