The chipmaker who came in from the cold

It is Sahasra, not Micron or Foxconn, that is poised to roll out India's first semiconductor memory chip

- SOURABH LELE

Most of the 2.5-hour drive from Delhi to the Electronic Industries Association of India's manufacturing cluster in Bhiwadi, in Rajasthan's Alwar district, is on the NH48. But once you leave the highway, there is a bumpy two-lane road to test your resolve.

When you get into the campus, the first facility on the left catches the eye with its state-of-the-art symbols of modern engineering. It also has cutting-edge equipment hard at work.

The urgency is understandable.

In three weeks, give or take a few days, this unit on the left will roll out India's first semiconductor memory chip, marking the country's first step into the futuristic segment. Semiconductor chips are used in anything that uses advanced electronics, be it smartphones, cars, or rockets.

Curiously, it is the unheralded Sahasra Electronics that is poised to steal the march over more fancied outfits in rolling out India's first chip.

It was not supposed to.

It could have been Foxconn. But the world's largest contract electronics manufacturer said on July 10 it had withdrawn from its $19.5 billion semiconductor joint venture with Vedanta, a conglomerate with businesses ranging from oil to metals. The Taiwan-based giant is now exploring other avenues.

It could have been the United States-based Micron Technology, which is setting up a semiconductor assembly and test facility in Gujarat. However, the facility is expected to become operational only in late 2024.

In the meantime, against the backdrop of the government's $10 billion semiconductor programme and constantly changing headlines of global partnerships, Sahasra marches on quietly, without the backing of any major investor nor in collaboration with any global semiconductor player.