West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday lauded the proposal to set up India's first-ever national security semiconductor fabrication plant in Kolkata, assuring her government's full support to the proposed investment in the semiconductor sector.
The ambitious India-US joint project was announced after talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Joe Biden in Wilmington on Saturday. The establishment of a global capability centre in the state reflects the relentless promotion of the anchor industry by the West Bengal government, she added.
"I am fortunate enough to share with you all the contribution of our West Bengal government in the historic international investment decision for Kolkata, as kindly announced by President of the USA with our PM Modi yesterday," the chief minister wrote on X.
Plant will produce chips for use in military hardware
Under a transformative collaboration with the US, India will get its first-ever national security semiconductor fabrication plant that will produce chips for use in military hardware in both the countries as well as in critical telecommunication networks and electronics.
"I assure all support to the emerging investment in this frontier sector. Let West Bengal be the true destination for knowledge-based industries," she added.
"Early last year, the state IT department and our PSU Webel approached leading semiconductor industries as many chip-designing and packaging startups had relocated to various Webel IT Parks after the COVID pandemic," she explained.
Banerjee pointed out that leading international semiconductor companies such as Global Foundries, Synopsys, and Micron held several technology symposiums in West Bengal.
"This year, the state government-sponsored Global VLSI Conference 2024 in Kolkata, witnessed participation from all leading giants in the semiconductor industry," Banerjee noted.
"Continuous deliberations coupled with successful promotion of the state’s capacity have thus led to Global Foundries’ recent proposal to set up a Global Capability Centre in Kolkata," she said.
The initiative will be supported by the India Semiconductor Mission and will form part of a strategic technology partnership among Bharat Semi, 3rdiTech, and the US Space Force.
This project is set to not only be India's first but also one of the world's first multi-material fabs dedicated to national security, according to sources familiar with the matter.
(With PTI inputs)
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