Sanand

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said India is rapidly integrating into the global semiconductor value chain, describing microchips as the defining driver of the 21st century.

The Prime Minister inaugurated the Semiconductor Assembly, Test and Packaging (ATMP) facility of Micron Technology’s Indian arm in Sanand, marking the start of commercial production and shipment of the first made-in-India semiconductor memory modules from the plant.

“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,” Modi said.

He said the launch of commercial production at the ATMP facility would strengthen India’s role in global technology supply chains. “India is rapidly becoming a part of the global semiconductor value chain,” he added.

Boost to India-US tech collaboration

Modi described the development as a symbol of strong India–US collaboration, particularly in emerging technologies such as 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 cooperation between India and the United States.

He also mentioned the “Pax Silica” initiative launched during the AI Summit as a step towards strengthening supply chain resilience for critical minerals and advanced technologies.

From pandemic announcement to production

Recalling the challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic, Modi said India had announced its semiconductor push at a time when global systems were under strain.

“When the world was struggling with the Covid pandemic, India announced semiconductor project... 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.

The Sanand 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 approval following the groundbreaking ceremony in September 2023.

One of the largest cleanroom facilities

Once fully ramped up, the Sanand ATMP facility will feature around 500,000 square feet of cleanroom space, making it one of the world’s largest raised-floor cleanrooms.

The facility will convert advanced Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM) and NAND semiconductor wafers from Micron’s global manufacturing network into finished memory and storage products for global markets. The output is expected to cater to rising demand driven by artificial intelligence and high-performance computing.

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According to an official release, the project represents a major step in strengthening India’s semiconductor ecosystem and aligns with the government’s vision of building a resilient and self-reliant technology infrastructure in the country.