On May 14, the Union Cabinet approved a semiconductor plant at Jewar in Uttar Pradesh, which will be established through a joint venture between HCL and Foxconn. The investment amounts to Rs 3,706 crore and aims to manufacture display driver chips utilised in mobile phones, laptops, and automobiles. According to Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, the plant will process 20,000 wafers each month, producing approximately 3.6 crore chips monthly. He explained that these driver chips are essential for controlling the quality and format of content displayed on screens of various devices.
Together they will set up a plant near Jewar airport in Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority or YEIDA. Vaishnaw highlighted that this facility will be the sixth semiconductor plant in India and emphasised the advanced technology involved. He noted that Foxconn, recognised as the largest electronic products manufacturer, including for Apple's iPhone, is a key player in this project.
The minister shared that the establishment of this unit is expected to pave the way for a display panel plant to also emerge in India, significantly enhancing the country's semiconductor capacity to meet 40 percent of its needs. He mentioned that the plant would not only cater to domestic requirements but also support Foxconn’s global supply chain.
The HCL-Foxconn joint venture is projected to become operational in 2027 and is anticipated to generate employment for around 2,000 individuals. Currently, the electronics manufacturing sector in India provides jobs for approximately 25 lakh people. Vaishnaw remarked that semiconductors play a fundamental role in the industry and their production will have a multiplier effect on the entire electronics manufacturing landscape in the country.
Semiconductor industry is now shaping up across the country. World class design facilities have come up in many states across the country. State governments are vigorously pursuing the design firms. Students and entrepreneurs in 270 academic institutions and 70 startups are working on world class latest design technologies for developing new products. 20 products developed by the students of these academic students have been taped out by SCL Mohali.
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