On July 17, news emerged that India's Tata Electronics is poised to manufacture the nation's inaugural batch of semiconductor wafers, employing technology that is older than what was initially projected. This development underscores the hurdles India is grappling with as it strives to establish its domestic chip industry.
According to individuals with insider knowledge of the situation, the technology division within the Tata Group is gearing up to construct a factory in Dholera, Gujarat, located in western India. This facility is intended to be the country's first large-scale chip wafer plant, with a primary focus on utilizing the 90nm process. The 90nm process represents a well-established technology, frequently employed in low-end industrial equipment and automotive applications. However, it is likely to become outdated in the foreseeable future. This suggests that Tata's initial approach is more cautious compared to what was previously touted.
In its annual report for the fiscal year ending March 2025, Tata's holding company had declared that it would initiate its chip manufacturing operations with the more advanced 28nm process.