MODI CABINET APPROVES FOUR NEW SEMICONDUCTOR PROJECTS

MODI CABINET APPROVES FOUR NEW SEMICONDUCTOR PROJECTS

13-AUG-ENG 2

RAJIV NAYAN AGRAWAL

DELHI--------------------------The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday approved four new semiconductor projects under the India Semiconductor Mission (ISM). A total investment of Rs 4,600 crore will be made on these projects, which will give a significant boost to the country's electronic manufacturing ecosystem. According to the government, these projects will employ about 2,034 skilled professionals and will also create many indirect jobs.

The four approved proposals include SiCSem, 3D Glass Solutions Inc., Continental Device India Private Limited (CDIL), and Advanced System in Package (ASIP) Technologies. SiCSem and 3D Glass Solutions factories will be set up in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, while CDIL will expand the factory in Mohali, Punjab. ASIP Technologies will set up a semiconductor manufacturing unit in Andhra Pradesh.

SiCSem Private Limited, UK's Clas-SiC Wafer Fab Ltd. will build a silicon carbide (SiC)-based compound semiconductor factory in Bhubaneswar in collaboration with 3D Glass Solutions Inc. It will be India's first commercial compound fab with an annual capacity of 60,000 wafers and 96 million units of packaging. Its products will be used in sectors such as missiles, defense equipment, electric vehicles, railways, solar inverters, and data center racks.

3D Glass Solutions Inc. will set up a vertically integrated advanced packaging and glass substrate unit in Odisha. The unit will bring the world's most advanced packaging technology to India. It will have several advanced technologies including 3D heterogeneous integration modules, which will be used in the defense, high-performance computing, artificial intelligence, and automotive sectors.

CDIL will expand its discrete semiconductor manufacturing facility in Punjab to manufacture devices such as high-power MOSFETs, IGBTs, and Schottky diodes. ASIP Technologies will set up a factory for mobile phones, set-top boxes, automobiles, and other electronic products in Andhra Pradesh.

The Union Cabinet said that these projects will strengthen India's semiconductor ecosystem and support world-class chip design capabilities. The government has provided design infrastructure support to 278 academic institutions and 72 start-ups, which has benefited more than 60,000 students. These projects will take India a big step towards achieving the goal of Aatmanirbhar Bharat. In this way, this investment in the semiconductor industry will not only improve technology but will also accelerate employment and economic growth.