Sanand

Union Minister for Electronics and IT Ashwini Vaishnaw on Saturday said memory chips will be manufactured at the Semiconductor Assembly, Test and Packaging (ATMP) facility of Micron Technology in Sanand, underlining that semiconductors form the backbone of modern technology.

Speaking at the inauguration event, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi formally launched the facility, Vaishnaw said the semiconductor industry is foundational to a wide range of devices.

“Memory chips will be manufactured in this plant. The semiconductor industry is foundational and everything from cameras to mobiles needs memory chips. India has made a place in the semiconductor industry on the global map,” he said.

Expanding chip design ecosystem

Vaishnaw noted that India’s semiconductor design ecosystem is expanding rapidly, with companies designing some of the most advanced 2-nanometre chips in the country.

He added that chips designed in India will also be manufactured domestically, reflecting the government’s push to build a complete semiconductor value chain within the country.

In his address, Modi described the inauguration of the ATMP facility as a milestone in India’s journey towards technology leadership.

“The beginning of commercial production in this ATMP facility of Micron will strengthen India’s role in the global value chain. India is rapidly becoming a part of the global semiconductor value chain,” the Prime Minister said.

“This is the century of AI revolution. The semiconductor is a major bridge of this revolution. If oil was the regulator of the last century, the microchip will be the regulator of this century,” he added.

Boost to India-US tech partnership

Modi also said the facility symbolises strong collaboration between India and the United States, particularly in the fields of artificial intelligence and semiconductors.

“The entire world is striving to secure the supply chains for these two technologies, and the world’s two largest democracies are working towards this end,” he said, referring to initiatives such as the “Pax Silica” framework launched during the AI Summit.

He recalled that India announced its semiconductor push during the COVID-19 pandemic. “During the pandemic, everything felt like it was falling apart. But the seeds we planted with conviction are now growing and bearing fruits,” he said.

Major milestone under ISM

According to an official release, the Sanand facility marks a significant milestone in India’s semiconductor manufacturing journey, with commercial production beginning and the first made-in-India semiconductor memory modules being shipped.

The project, with a total outlay of over ₹22,500 crore, was the first proposal approved under the India Semiconductor Mission (ISM). Construction began soon after its groundbreaking ceremony in September 2023.

Once fully operational, the facility will have around 500,000 square feet of cleanroom space, making it one of the world’s largest raised-floor cleanrooms. It will convert advanced DRAM and NAND semiconductor wafers from Micron’s global manufacturing network into finished memory and storage products for customers worldwide.

READ MORE: Temple serves Sehri to Muslim Mahout

The development underscores India’s emergence as a trusted destination for semiconductor manufacturing and aligns with the government’s vision of building a resilient and self-reliant technology ecosystem, the release said.