SemiconIndia 2022: Applied Materials To Invest Over Rs 1,800 Crore In India

Applied Materials, a leading semiconductor and display equipment supplier in the world, announced today (29 April) an investment of over Rs 1,800 crore in India.

What's the occasion? The announcement came at the SemiconIndia 2022 conference, which is being held over three days, between 29 April and 1 May, in Bengaluru, Karnataka.

What they said: "We are announcing Rs 340 crore investment to scale our infrastructure. Over the next five years, we expect to spend over Rs 1,500 crore towards enhanced product development and validation centre. That includes dedicated campus, additional talent, and development labs," Prabu Raja, Senior Vice President, Semiconductor Products Group, Applied Materials, said via video conference.

Applied Materials has acquired a land parcel in Bengaluru for a cost of Rs 340 crore. Here, a proposed manufacturing facility will come up.

The additional Rs 1,500 crore will go towards product development and manufacturing research and development (R&D).

The total investment figure adds up to over Rs 1,800 crore.

According to Raja, this investment will "speed up innovation and commercialisation out of India."

It was coming: Applied Materials was among several technology majors, including HCL Technologies, which had reportedly expressed interest in investing Rs 5,000 crore in Karnataka. This sum would help create 15,000 direct jobs in the state, Dr Ashwathnarayan C N, Minister for Electronics, Information Technology, and Biotechnology, had said in November last year.

What's SemiconIndia 2022 about? Organised by India Semiconductor Mission in partnership with the industry, SemiconIndia 2022 aims to look at how to make India a global hub for semiconductor design, manufacturing, and technology development.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the inaugural conference, which has as its theme, "Catalysing India’s semiconductor ecosystem."

Using the language of electronics, the Prime Minister said: "In earlier times, industries were ready to do their work, but the government was like a "Not Gate." When any input flows into the "Not Gate," it gets negated. So many needless compliances and no 'ease of doing business'. But we understand that the government must be like the "And Gate."

He assured government support to the industry.

In other news at SemiconIndia 2022: Three memorandums of understanding (MoUs) were inked during the conference as a sign of forging partnerships between the government and industry.

• SEMI and Electronic Industries Association of India (ELCINA) to promote semiconductor ecosystem in India

• Qualcomm India and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology's Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) partner to support Indian semiconductor startups

• All India Council for Technical Education, SEMI, India Semiconductor Mission, and VLSI Society of India to define a partnership that will address the growing requirements of industry talent for semiconductors at all levels

Also Read:

Is There An Opportunity For Semiconductor Equipment Manufacturers To Set Up Factories in India?

Interview With Industry Expert Dr Satya Gupta On India's Quest For Semiconductor Self-Sufficiency And Challenges Ahead