Tata's ₹27,000 Crore Semiconductor Plant in Assam to Create Jobs

In a pivotal move towards establishing a comprehensive semiconductor manufacturing ecosystem in India, the construction of Tata’s semiconductor unit in Assam officially commenced today. The event witnessed the presence of Hon’ble Chief Minister of Assam, Shri Himanta Biswa Sarma, and Chairman of Tata Sons Limited, N Chandrasekaran. The Union Minister for Railways, Electronics & Information Technology, and Information and Broadcasting, Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw, highlighted the significance of this development, emphasizing the Prime Minister of India’s Act East Policy.

The Union Minister shared that this project, approved by the Union Cabinet on 29th February 2024, is a crucial step towards achieving the goals outlined in the Programme for Development of Semiconductors and Display Manufacturing Ecosystem in India, which was notified on 21st December 2021 with a total outlay of ₹76,000 crore. This follows the Union Cabinet’s approval in June 2023 for Micron’s semiconductor unit in Sanand, Gujarat, which is also progressing swiftly.

About the Semiconductor Unit

The new semiconductor facility in Assam will be established with an investment of ₹27,000 crores and is projected to generate 15,000 direct and 11,000-13,000 indirect jobs. This unit will have a capacity to produce 4.83 crore semiconductor chips per day and will feature indigenous advanced semiconductor packaging technologies, including Wire Bond, Flip Chip, and I-SIP (Integrated System in Package). These technologies, developed in India, are vital for key applications in automotive (especially electric vehicles), communications, and network infrastructure sectors.

Talent Development Plan

Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw also announced that an 85,000-strong, industry-ready workforce at B.Tech, M.Tech, and Ph.D. levels in semiconductor chip design is being trained across 113 academic institutions nationwide, including nine in the North-East. These institutions are:

1. Assam: National Institute of Technology Silchar
2. Mizoram: National Institute of Technology Mizoram
3. Manipur: National Institute of Technology Manipur
4. Nagaland: National Institute of Technology Nagaland
5. Tripura: National Institute of Technology Agartala
6. Sikkim: National Institute of Technology Sikkim
7. Arunachal Pradesh: National Institute of Technology Arunachal Pradesh
8. Meghalaya: North Eastern Hill University, Shillong
9. Meghalaya: National Institute of Technology Meghalaya

A Step Towards ‘Viksit Bharat, Viksit Northeast’

Today’s announcement represents a significant milestone in accelerating the development of the North-East region, aligning with the Prime Minister’s vision of a developed India and a developed North-East. This initiative underscores the strategic importance of the semiconductor industry and its potential to create extensive employment opportunities in both upstream and downstream industries.