Govt commits ₹4,500 cr for SCL Mohali modernization

The unit upgrade will be funded over three years through the India Semiconductor Mission

- Jatin Grover

The central government will spend ₹4,500 crore over the three years to modernize state-run Semi-Conductor Laboratory (SCL) in Mohali, electronics and IT minister Ashwini Vaishnaw told reporters on the sidelines of the chips-to-startup programme at the facility on Friday.

The Centre plans to fund the investment from the ₹76,000 crore India Semiconductor Mission (ISM 1.0), which was launched in 2021.

“The investment will help in SCL modernization. The plan is to scale up the current production level by 100 times and create new IPs (intellectual property),” he said.

For further expansion of SCL Mohali, Vaishnaw said there is a requirement for 25 acres of land. “We have urged the Punjab government that we need 25 acres of land. The sooner they give, the more it will help in the modernization and expansion of SCL Mohali.”

Mint had reported on 10 July that a 26-acre land parcel near the SCL facility in Mohali has emerged as a potential hurdle in the Centre's plan to modernize the decades-old plant with advanced chip technology.

Owned by the Punjab government, the land was identified by the Centre-run facility over a year ago for its expansion and the addition of new fabrication lines.