ASSAM CHIPS IN FOR SEMICONDUCTORS

Once known for tea and oil, Assam is now poised to become India's semiconductor frontier. With Tata's Rs 27,000 crore plant, global partnerships, and massive investment inflows, the state is chipping in to power India's tech future.

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For three relentless months before the grand unveiling of Advantage Assam 2.0 on February 25, Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma had been running on fumes. The Chief Minister of Assam, known for his kinetic energy, had taken his resolve to another level: three hours of sleep a night, 10 days of globetrotting across Singapore, Japan, and South Korea, and a staggering 90 meetings with prospective investors, political leaders and diplomats. He was a man on a mission, pitching Assam as the next big frontier of India's technological revolution, and in particular, as the country's emerging semiconductor powerhouse. Ask him about it, and he credits his motivation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi: “The Honourable Prime Minister's work ethic and commitment drives every BJP worker, including me, to go beyond our limits and strive for a stronger, more prosperous India.”

That audacious pitch bore fruit. When the dust settled on the business summit, Assam had raked in MoUs worth over Rs 5 lakh crore, but the agreements inked with ten leading semiconductor companies from Singapore, Malaysia, and Japan stood out as a defining moment, marking a pivotal step in Assam's semiconductor journey. These partnerships would catapult Assam into the heart of India's semiconductor ambitions, building on a foundation laid by Tata Electronics with its pioneering plant in Jagiroad. “The Tata Electronics facility will have an investment of Rs 27,000 crore and will produce 48 million chips per day,” said Tata Group Chairman N. Chandrasekaran at the Advantage Assam 2 summit.