New Delhi: Amid global chip shortages, the Tata group is in talks with three states to set up a semiconductor assembly and testing unit in India, two sources familiar with the development told Reuters, as part of the group’s push into high-tech manufacturing. in the form of.
According to a Reuters report, Tata will invest up to $300 million in this new facility.
Sources said the group is in talks with Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Telangana and is looking for land for an outsourced semiconductor assembly and test (OSAT) plant.
While Tata has previously said that it will enter the semiconductor business, this is the first time there has been news about the group’s foray into the sector and its scale.
An OSAT plant packages, assembles and tests foundry-made silicon wafers, turning them into finished semiconductor chips.
One of the sources told Reuters that Tata has looked at some possible locations for the factory, with a location likely to be finalized by next month. “Although they (Tata) are very strong on the software side of things… hardware is something they want to add to their portfolio, which is very important for long-term growth,” the source said.
The Tata Group and the three states did not respond to requests for comment.
Tata’s move will boost Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Make in India’ campaign to manufacture electronics, which has already helped the South Asian country become the world’s second largest smartphone maker.
The Tata group, which controls India’s top software services exporter Tata Consultancy Services and has interests in everything from autos to aviation, is planning to invest in high-end electronics and digital businesses, its chairman N Chandrasekaran said. has said before.
Prospective clients of Tata’s OSAT business include Intel, Advanced Micro Devices and STMicroelectronics.
The source said that while the factory is expected to start operations by the end of next year and could employ 4,000 workers, availability of skilled workers at the right cost was critical to the project’s long-term viability.
“Once Tata starts up, the ecosystem will come around… Hence, finding the right place from the labor point of view is very important,” the source said.
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