|
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman visited the upcoming Outsourced Semiconductor Assembly and Test (OSAT) centre being developed by Tata Electronics at Jagiroad, Morigaon district, earlier this week.
The visit of Sitharaman, who was accompanied by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, marks a significant step forward in Assam's journey to become a hub for advanced electronics and semiconductor manufacturing in Northeast India. TATA OSAT Centre at Jagiroad is envisioned as a cornerstone project in India's semiconductor manufacturing mission, reinforcing Assam's position as a rising industrial destination in the Northeast India region. Randhir Thakur, CEO, TATA Electronics, who is also responsible for the Jagiroad OSAT Centre presented an overview of the project's progress and outlined how the establishment of the OSAT facility will transform the industrial landscape of Assam. Thakur also emphasised the vast employment opportunities that the project will generate, benefiting both the state and the entire Northeastern region. Chief Minister Sarma expressed his gratitude to Sitharaman for her support in bringing this transformative project to the state of Assam. He stated that the OSAT Centre will play a pivotal role in reshaping the state's industrial ecosystem and fostering large-scale employment and skill development. During her visit to Jagiroad, Sitharaman also interacted with local entrepreneurs and students, sharing valuable insights on the growing business and investment potential of Assam and the Northeast India. She encouraged the youth to actively participate in the state's emerging industrial and technological opportunities. Minister Sitharaman emphasised that Assam has taken the lead by bringing a semiconductor manufacturing unit to the State, demonstrating foresight and dynamism in industrial policy. "Just ten days ago, Hon'ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi launched a Rs 1 lakh crore fund for research and development. This fund is accessible not only to government institutions but also to private sector entities across the country to promote innovation and research," she added. The Union Minister and the Chief Minister also paid tributes to JN Tata and planted red sandal saplings at the OSAT Centre premises, symbolising growth and sustainability. The TATA semiconductor project in Assam is being developed with an investment of Rs 27,000 crore and is expected to produce 48 million semiconductor chips per day upon completion. The first phase of the plant is expected to be commissioned by April 2026. It will employ advanced packaging technologies and is set to become one of the country's premier high-technology manufacturing facilities. The project is expected to generate around 15,000 direct and 11,000-13,000 indirect jobs. Semiconductors are at the heart of modern technology. They power essential systems in healthcare, transport, communication, defence, and space. As the world moves toward greater digitalisation and automation, semiconductors have become integral to economic security and strategic independence. In just four years, since the launch of the India Semiconductor Mission (ISM) in 2021, India has transformed its semiconductor journey from vision to reality. To support this vision, the government had announced a Rs 76,000 crore Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme, of which a majority of the corpus has already been committed into various projects. On August 28, a major milestone in India's semiconductor journey was achieved with the launch of one of the country's first end-to-end Outsourced Semiconductor Assembly and Test (OSAT) Pilot Line Facilities in Sanand, Gujarat. Semiconductor company CG-Semi rolled out the first 'Made in India' chip from this pilot facility. In June 2023, the government approved the first proposal for establishing a semiconductor unit in Sanand. As of the date, the government has approved 10 semiconductor manufacturing projects with a cumulative investment of more than Rs 1.60 lakh crore in six states: Gujarat, Assam, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Odisha, and Andhra Pradesh. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has already begun work on the next phase of India's semiconductor programme, Semicon 2.0, and is currently holding internal discussions and with various line ministries to finalise its contours. (ANI)
|
