Lays foundation stone for 3 semiconductor facilities worth about Rs 1.25 lakh crores
“India is set to become a prominent semiconductor manufacturing hub. Chip manufacturing will take India towards self-reliance, towards modernity”
“Chip manufacturing opens the door to limitless possibilities. Youth of India are capable and they need an opportunity. The Semiconductor initiative has brought that opportunity to India today”
New Delhi, NFAPost: Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for three major semiconductor projects as part of the government’s ambitious plan to become a global power in the manufacture of all products with the help of semiconductor chipsets.
Blaming previous governments for indulging in corruption worth thousands of crores and not investing in modern technology, Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually laid the foundation stones of three semiconductor projects worth nearly Rs 1.25 lakh crore via ‘India’s Techade: Chips for Viksit Bharat’ project.
“Today marks a historic occasion as we embark on a journey to create history and take a significant stride towards a brighter future. The foundation stones for three major projects will contribute to positioning Bharat as a major global hub for semiconductor manufacturing. It is noteworthy that our friends from Taiwan have also participated in this programme virtually,” said Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The event virtually laid the foundation stone for the semiconductor fabrication facility at the Dholera Special Investment Region (DSIR) in Gujarat, the Outsourced Semiconductor Assembly and Test (OSAT) facility in Assam’s Morigaon, and the Outsourced Semiconductor Assembly and Test (OSAT) facility at Sanand in Gujarat.
The Prime Minister also highlighted that the 21st century is indisputably driven by technology, with electronic chips playing a pivotal role.
“The development of ‘Made In India chips’, designed in India, holds immense potential in propelling our nation towards self-sufficiency and modernisation. Despite being left behind during the first, second, and third industrial revolutions due to various reasons, Bharat is now confidently forging ahead to lead the fourth industrial revolution, Industry 4.0,” said Narendra Modi.
He also said Bharat is determined not to squander a single moment, exemplified by the rapid progress showcased in today’s programme.
“It is a testament to our commitment and efficiency in working towards our goals. Two years ago, we initiated the Semiconductor Mission, and within a few months, we signed our first MoUs. Today, within just a few months, we are laying the foundation stone of three projects. India commits, India delivers, and democracy delivers,” he said while virtually inaugurating three projects.
The Prime Minister underlined that only a handful of nations in the world are manufacturing semiconductors today and emphasized the need for a reliable supply chain after the disruptions caused by the coronavirus pandemic. He stated that India is keen to play a crucial role in this and highlighted the country’s tech space, nuclear and digital power.
Besides more than 60,000 colleges, universities and educational institutes, the event was attended by Union IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, Union Minister of State For IT and Electronics Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Chief Ministers of Assam and Gujarat, Chairman of Tata Group N Chandrasekaran, Chairman of CG Power Vellayan Subbiah and industry leaders.
The fabrication (fab) facility at the DSIR, about 120km from Ahmedabad in Gujarat, will be set up by Tata Electronics Private Limited (TEPL) under the Modified Scheme for setting up Semiconductor Fabs in India. With a total investment of over Rs 91,000 crore, this will be the first commercial semiconductor fab in the country is developed in collaboration with Taiwan’s Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation (PSMC) and will have a capacity to manufacture up to 50,000 wafers per month.
The Outsourced Semiconductor Assembly and Test (OSAT) facility in Assam’s Morigaon will be set up by Tata Electronics Private Limited (TEPL) under the Modified Scheme for Semiconductor Assembly, Testing, Marking and Packaging (ATMP), and with a total investment of about Rs 27,000 crore. Another OSAT facility in Sanand, will be set up by CG Power and Industrial Solutions Limited under the ATMP with total investment of about Rs 7,500 crore.
Gujarat Congress spokesperson Manish Doshi welcomed the Centre’s initiatives for the semiconductor sector, but criticised the Prime Minister for allegedly appropriating credit. “The priority for the country post-independence was different. Without producing engineers how do you expect to make semiconductor chips? One must remember that it was Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru who built world-class institutions including the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs),” he said.
He emphasized that India will gain a strategic advantage in the future for policy decisions taken today as he mentioned encouraging Ease of Doing Business and simplification of laws. In the last few years, the Prime Minister informed that more than 40,000 compliances have been abolished and rules for FDI have also been simplified.
FDI policies in defence, insurance and telecom sectors have been liberalized. The Prime Minister also touched upon India’s growing position in electronics and hardware manufacturing where PLI schemes have been provided for large-scale electronic and IT hardware manufacturing and electronic clusters created, thereby giving a platform for the growth of the electronic ecosystem.
The Prime Minister informed that India is the second largest mobile manufacturer in the world today. Highlighting the initiation of India’s Quantum Mission, the establishment of the National Research Foundation to encourage innovation and the expansion of India’s AI Mission, the Prime Minister said that India is moving in the direction of technology advancement apart from technology adoption.
