The year 2024 marked significant strides for India in the technology sector with the establishment of four new semiconductor manufacturing units and the commissioning of three ‘Param Rudra’ supercomputers, among several other initiatives aimed at bolstering India’s position on the global tech stage, the government announced on Friday.
Tata Electronics Private Limited (TEPL) secured approval in February 2024 for setting up a semiconductor fabrication (fab) facility in partnership with Taiwan’s PSMC. The project, which involves an investment of ₹91,526 crore, will have a production capacity of 50,000 wafer starts per month (WSPM).
In the same month, TEPL received approval for another project to establish an Outsourced Semiconductor Assembly and Test (OSAT) facility with an investment of ₹27,120 crore. This facility will employ indigenous semiconductor packaging technologies and produce 48 million chips per day.
CG Power and Industrial Solutions Limited’s proposal to set up an OSAT facility with an investment of ₹7,584 crore was also approved in February. The project, a joint venture with Renesas Electronics America (USA) and STARS Microelectronic (Thailand), will feature technology provided by Renesas Electronics Corporation (Japan) and STARS Microelectronic. The facility will have a production capacity of 15.07 million units per day.
In September, Kaynes Technology India Limited (KTIL) received approval to establish an OSAT facility in Sanand, Gujarat, for Wire Bond Interconnect and Substrate-Based Packages. With an investment of ₹3,307 crore, the facility is expected to produce over 6.33 million chips per day.
On September 26, Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicated three ‘Param Rudra’ supercomputers to the nation via video conferencing. Developed under the National Supercomputing Mission (NSM), these supercomputers have been installed at key research institutions:
- Inter-University Accelerator Centre (IUAC), New Delhi (3 PetaFlops)
- Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT), Pune (1 PetaFlop)
- S.N. Bose National Centre for Basic Sciences, Kolkata (838 TeraFlops)
These supercomputers are expected to revolutionize research capabilities for over 10,000 researchers, including 1,700 PhD scholars from more than 200 academic institutions and R&D labs across India. They will facilitate advanced studies in physics, earth sciences, and cosmology.
The government also highlighted nine projects approved under the Scheme for Promotion of Manufacturing of Electronic Components and Semiconductors (SPECS), which are expected to generate 15,710 jobs.
In another major achievement, 6.39 crore individuals were trained under the Pradhan Mantri Gramin Digital Saksharta Abhiyan (PMGDISHA), exceeding the target of 6 crore. The program aims to empower rural populations with digital literacy.
India’s efforts to strengthen its tech infrastructure in 2024 signal a decisive step toward achieving technological self-reliance and global competitiveness.
(Inputs from IANS)
