India's Semiconductor Manufacturing Push

#GS-3 #Science & Technology #Economy #Artificial Intelligence #Infrastructure #National #Gujarat

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The Prime Minister inaugurated the commercial production phase of the **CG Semi** Outsourced Semiconductor Assembly and Test (**OSAT**) facility located in **Sanand, Gujarat**.

India's semiconductor push is a government-backed industrial plan to create a complete domestic electronics ecosystem. This initiative covers chip design, manufacturing, assembly, testing, and packaging. Managed by the **India Semiconductor Mission (ISM)**, it aims to transform India from an importer of microchips into a self-reliant global manufacturing hub.

The town of **Sanand** in Gujarat has become India's primary chip packaging hub. It houses three major operational facilities run by **Micron Technology**, **Kaynes Semicon**, and **CG Semi**.
**Tata Electronics** has partnered with Taiwan's **PSMC** to set up India's first commercial silicon fabrication factory in **Dholera, Gujarat**. The plant aims to produce its first silicon microchip by **late 2026**.
India started construction on its first specialized 3D semiconductor packaging unit in **Bhubaneswar, Odisha**. This facility will supply advanced microchips for artificial intelligence and national defense needs.
The **Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY)** supports **24 fabless chip design startups** through the **DLI** scheme. It has also trained over **67,000** engineering students on professional software tools.

Microchips form the core of modern military security. They power missile guidance systems, satellite communications, and military radar networks.
India cannot lead in artificial intelligence, robotics, or supercomputing without having a steady domestic supply of high-performance microprocessors.
Local semiconductor production protects supply chains for India's growing electric vehicle industry and nationwide **5G** and **6G** telecom networks.
The growth of chip factories creates high-skilled technology jobs. It allows local workers to transition from low-income farm work into specialized cleanroom engineering roles.
Making microchips domestically prevents foreign factory shutdowns or trade blockades from disrupting India's consumer electronics industry.

Building microchip manufacturing plants requires continuous heavy investment that goes far beyond the initial **₹76,000 crore** government budget.
New Indian packaging plants face intense competition from global leaders in **Taiwan**, **China**, and **South Korea** that already dominate the market.
Manufacturing chips requires an uninterrupted supply of millions of liters of purified water and highly stable electrical power grids.
India lacks domestic suppliers for essential raw materials like electronic-grade gases, chemical substrates, and specialized masks, forcing plants to rely on imports.
While assembling and testing chips is progressing well, mastering the technology to manufacture advanced chips smaller than **10 nanometers** remains extremely difficult.

The government should quickly approve the **₹1.25 lakh crore** budget under **ISM 2.0** to support manufacturing equipment and raw material suppliers.
State governments must provide dedicated power substations and water recycling facilities near chip clusters in **Dholera** and **Sanand**.
The government should expand the **DLI** scheme to support at least **50** Indian chip design companies to build strong indigenous intellectual property.
India should sign international training agreements with nations like **Malaysia**, **Singapore**, and **Japan** to upskill local engineers.
Authorities should require government tenders, electric vehicle programs, and defense buyers to purchase a fixed percentage of domestically made microchips.

By converting **₹7,600 crore** in initial joint venture investments into commercial products, the **India Semiconductor Mission** has demonstrated practical success. Securing the **₹1.25 lakh crore** funding for **ISM 2.0** and building a domestic raw material supply chain will now be critical for long-term technological self-reliance.