SEMICONDUCTOR DREAM GETS REAL

INDIA'S TOP COMPANIES ARE MAKING BOLD MOVES IN THE SEMICONDUCTOR SPACE, SEIZING THE MOMENTUM OF THE GLOBAL "CHIP GOLD RUSH."

- NIDHI SINGAL

Situated 124 kilometres away from Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, the town of Dholera began attracting real estate developers in March this year. At that time, the landscape was mostly barren, marked by a few structures such as the Dholera office and the ReNew solar cell plant. Despite the sparse surroundings, developers were travelling from Ahmedabad with potential buyers, drawn by the promise of future townships complete with schools, hospitals, and even an airport.

What sparked this sudden wave of interest? The catalyst was Tata Electronics’ plan to build a mega semiconductor fabrication plant with an investment of ₹91,000 crore, expected to create over 20,000 direct and indirect jobs in the region. Unlike the verticals Tata Group companies have traditionally operated in, this marks the conglomerate’s foray into the global semiconductor ecosystem.

Tata isn’t the only Indian company looking to enter the complex semiconductor industry. Over the past three years, leading business houses, including Adani Group, Larsen & Toubro (L&T), Murugappa Group, HCL Group, Hiranandani, and Zoho have had teams working behind the scenes to realise India’s vision for the sector, one that remains a largely unfamiliar territory.