‘Made-in-India chips key to developed India’: PM Modi lays foundation for HCL-Foxconn semiconductor plant

Greater Noida: The foundation of developed India will be laid on the basis of self-reliance for which having chips made in India is very important, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Saturday.

In a virtual address to lay the foundation stone of India Chip Pvt Ltd -- the HCL Group and Foxconn JV -- Modi said a weak supply chain of tiny chips during the Covid-19 pandemic halted development of several economies and stopped work at various factories.

"Developed India will be built only when India is self reliant. For this, Made in India chip is very important. Whatever India is doing in the field of technology in this decade, it will become foundation of our capability in the 21st century," Modi said.

The India Chip Pvt Ltd -- the HCL Group and Foxconn joint venture for Outsourced Semiconductor Assembly & Test (OSAT) facility -- will come up in the Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (YEIDA) at Jewar, Greater Noida.

India Chip Pvt Ltd is a 60:40 joint venture between HCL Group and Foxconn. The advanced OSAT facility is expected to be operational by 2028. The company has earmarked an investment of Rs 3,700 crore over the next few years in the facility that will produce display driver chips.

The investment is expected to create over 3,500 direct and indirect jobs, build local supply chains, and attract ecosystem partners across the semiconductor value chain.

With a planned capacity to process 20,000 wafers per month, the facility aims to meet India's growing domestic demand for semiconductor components while strengthening a resilient, self-reliant semiconductor supply chain.

"In the last 11 years, the Prime Minister has established India as powerhouse of electronics manufacturing. India is now ranked third among nations that export electronics. In a month, 3.6 crore chips will be produced from this plant. The brain of the digital screens that you see will now be made in Jewar," Union Electronics and IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said.

UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said Jewar is emerging as a jewel not only for UP but also for the country. The development of UP will depend on the Prime Minister's vision for chips, he said.

"Today we are ground breaking for India chip. We want to establish reliable semiconductor assembly and testing facility in India. We look forward to growing together and contributing to India's growth in global technology landscape," Bob Chen, President, Semiconductor Business Group, Foxconn, said.

HCL Group Chairperson Roshini Nadar said the joint venture facility will cater to the requirement of both domestic and international markets.