Tata Electronics to Ink 16 MoUs at SEMICON India 2026 as Semiconductor Ecosystem Grows: CEO Randhir Thakur

Tata Electronics is preparing to sign 16 Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) at SEMICON India 2026, strengthening its efforts to build a broader semiconductor ecosystem in the country, company CEO Randhir Thakur said at the event’s inauguration. Thakur said the long-term beneficiaries of the India Semiconductor Mission will be India’s younger generation, as the manufacturing facilities, technology and supporting ecosystem being created today are expected to become the foundation for future careers and innovation. He said the semiconductor plants under development would eventually become workplaces for young Indians, while chips produced in the country could support technologies developed by the next generation.

Thakur also pointed to the rapid growth of India’s electronics industry. According to him, the sector has expanded from around ₹2 lakh crore in 2014 to more than ₹13 lakh crore in 2026. He attributed the transformation to coordinated government policies, industrial investment and faster execution. He said the conversation around India’s semiconductor ambitions has now moved beyond whether the country can manufacture chips and towards questions of how quickly and extensively the ecosystem can be developed.

Using semiconductor manufacturing as an analogy, Thakur compared the industry-building process to fabrication itself, saying the government has helped lay the foundation through investment, introduced policies that support the sector and worked to reduce regulatory barriers. He also highlighted the recently announced Semiconductor 2.0 policy as another step in that direction.

Tata Electronics advances projects in Gujarat and Assam: The company is making progress at two major greenfield projects — its semiconductor fabrication facility in Dholera, Gujarat, and its semiconductor packaging unit in Jagiroad, Assam. Thakur said both projects are moving according to the timelines set with the government. More than 450 ecosystem partners are already involved around the Dholera project, covering areas such as construction, chemicals, equipment and materials.

The 16 new agreements planned at SEMICON India 2026 will bring together companies and institutions from both India and overseas. The proposed partners include Nexperia and Besi from Europe; Japan-based JSR, Fujifilm, Sumitomo, Sojitz and Ajinomoto; Malaysia’s Kelington; Singapore-based Ascendas and First Space; and Indian organisations including L&T Semiconductors, Inox Air Products, Semiconductor Laboratory and Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya. These partnerships add to Tata Electronics’ existing collaboration with ASML, a major supplier of semiconductor lithography equipment.

Focus on jobs and semiconductor skills: Thakur also highlighted employment generation linked to Tata Electronics’ expansion. He said the company has created more than 1.5 lakh direct jobs and noted that semiconductor manufacturing can generate additional employment across the wider supplier and services ecosystem. He further said women account for about 65 per cent of Tata Electronics’ workforce, including many employees recruited from rural and underserved communities.

Building a skilled workforce is also becoming a key part of the company’s semiconductor plans. Around 300 recent graduates from Indian universities are currently receiving technical training at fabrication facilities operated by Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation (PSMC) in Taiwan. The training is aimed at preparing engineers and other technical professionals for the capabilities required to support India’s emerging semiconductor manufacturing sector. With new partnerships, large-scale projects and workforce training progressing simultaneously, Tata Electronics is positioning its semiconductor operations as a key component of India’s broader push to establish a domestic chip manufacturing and electronics supply chain.

Disclaimer: This image is taken from ANI.