From semiconductor fabs to fuel: Inox seeks next big leap

The first chip from an Indian fab to debut by Oct, a major step towards achieving self-sufficiency in the sector

- Dipti Sharma & Nehal Chaliawala

The Inox Group is gearing up to leverage major opportunities in the semiconductor and liquified natural gas (LNG) industries, which are poised for rapid growth in India, promoter Siddharth Jain said.

Group company Inox Air Products is positioning itself to supply gas to semiconductor manufacturers, while for Inox India, a listed company, the potential lies in building gas-related infrastructure for semiconductor fabs and LNG storage facilities.

Semiconductor manufacturing requires as many as 46 gases, Jain said in an interview. Only six of them are made in India, highlighting a "significant gap" in domestic supply, he said.

"If semiconductor manufacturing takes off in the country, we will need to develop the capability to supply all of them," he said.