India, US launch announce launch of first-ever semiconductor fab partnership
- In Reports
- 01:15 PM, Sep 23, 2024
- Myind Staff
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Joe Biden announced a historic joint venture for a semiconductor manufacturing plant which is likely to come up at Jewar, UP. The venture aims to establish a cutting-edge facility with a primary focus on advanced semiconductors for applications in green energy, next-generation telecommunications, and national security. The India Semiconductor Mission, in conjunction with a strategic technology partnership between Bharat Semi, 3rdiTech, and the US Space Force, will facilitate the construction of the plant, which is intended to produce infrared, gallium nitride, and silicon carbide semiconductors.
The US military has agreed to a technology partnership with India for the first time, marking a significant milestone similar to the historic civil nuclear deal. The Bharat Semi fab, named Shakti, will be India's first semiconductor manufacturing facility and one of the world's few multi-material fabs focused on national security. This fab will be among the first of its kind in the Quad alliance and will concentrate on three key areas crucial for modern warfare: advanced sensing, advanced communications, and high-voltage power electronics.
For commercial sectors like green energy, data centres, telecom infrastructure, and railways, these three areas have enormously growing needs. 'Compound semiconductors' is the family name under which these semiconductors are classified.
Infrared, gallium nitride and silicon carbide will be the three main technology domains. These fall under PM Modi's agenda to turn India from a chip importer to a chip manufacturer. This new semiconductor manufacturing facility, or fab, will be a national treasure when India begins to transform from a developing country into a technological leader and possibly a supplier of security to the region. India needs to emerge as a leader in the technology domain as part of its journey to become a regional security provider. This came as one of the most important examples of tech diplomacy. It will go down in history as a turning point in ties between the US and India.
India currently spends $1 billion annually on these semiconductor imports solely for national security. India and the US have inked several agreements for cooperation in critical technology, with a particular emphasis on semiconductors. These agreements range from iCET to commerce to commerce MoU to strategic trade dialogue. This turns into the first real semiconductor fab project in the US from India. OSAT assembly and testing have been part of other projects in the past. But this is pushing the envelope and entering the realm of true chip fabrication, the pinnacle of semiconductor technology.
India will become one of the few select countries with the capacity and know-how to produce these kinds of semiconductors domestically following this technological collaboration.
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