"Historic day for India": Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Gujarat govt signing MoU with US Chip maker Micron

Gandhinagar (Gujarat) [India], June 29 : Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has termed the signing of the MoU between the Gujarat government and US chipmaker Micron a "historic day for India."

The MoU was signed between the Government of Gujarat and Micron Technology, America's largest semiconductor memory IDM (Integrated Device Manufacturer). The MoU was signed in the presence of Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and Union Minister for Railways, Communications, Electronics and Information Technology, Ashwini Vaishnaw.

"Historic Day for India... Thanks to PM @narendramodi Ji's comprehensive semiconductor mission," Vaishnaw tweeted on Wednesday.

Following Prime Minister Narendra Modi's meeting with Micron CEO Sanjay Mehrotra, Micron Technology will invest USD 2.5 billion (INR 22,500 crore) to establish an ATMP (assembly, test, marking, and packaging) facility in Gujarat's Sanand GIDC-II, the Gujarat government announced on Wednesday.

The MoU is a watershed moment for India because the domestic semiconductor ecosystem will get a boost as other associated industries for raw materials and finished products related to this sector will be drawn to Gujarat, a release said.

Micron Technology will establish an Assembly and Test facility wherein it will focus on transforming wafers into ball grid array (BGA) integrated circuit packages, memory modules, and solid-state drives.

The establishment of this facility will prove to be a game-changer in India's semiconductor manufacturing sector. It will provide 20,000 direct and indirect employment opportunities, i.e., 5,000 direct and 15,000 indirect, it said.

While addressing the media, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw emphasised that semiconductors are a foundational industry and added that Micron Technologies will build India's first chip manufacturing facility in Gujarat's Sanand.

"Today, Semiconductor chip manufacturing's MoU was signed in Gujarat. Semiconductor is a foundational industry. India's first chip manufacturing plant will be set up in Gujarat's Sanand by Micron Technologies," said Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.

A significant investment in India by Micron Technology was announced by the President of the United States, Joe Biden, during his meeting with the Prime Minister in the US recently. This investment aims to boost India's Semicon Program through the establishment of a semiconductor assembly, test, marking, and packaging (ATMP) facility in the country.

Micron Technology will invest USD 2.5 billion, i.e., more than INR 22,500 crore, to establish an ATMP facility in Gujarat's Sanand.