Industry hails initiative to modernise semiconductor laboratory with Rs 4,500 crore outlay
The India Electronics and Semiconductor Association (IESA) on Saturday lauded the government's commitment of Rs 4,500 crore to modernise Semiconductor Complex Limited (SCL) in Mohali, as it can support pilot production, small-volume fabrication, and early-stage prototyping — turning ideas into market-ready products faster.
Ashok Chandak, President of IESA, urged close coordination between the Centre and the state government to expedite land allotment and infrastructure clearances to avoid delays and uncertainty.
The SCL plant is expected to be modernised for a 180 nm node that could create numerous business opportunities and a 100-fold capacity increase, IESA said in a statement. The successful 180 nm setup can be used to build future upgrades to lower technology nodes, it added.
"This capability is also vital for India’s strategic needs, especially in defence, aerospace, space, and other sensitive sectors that require trusted, indigenous semiconductor manufacturing," it said.
SCL could also evolve into a national training and capacity-building centre, providing EDA-tool access, hands-on workforce development, and strong collaboration with academia and industry to build India’s future semiconductor talent pool.
Stable policy and fiscal support under the India Semiconductor Mission (ISM) will further enable SCL to scale, integrate with India’s broader supply chain, and contribute to the nation’s export and innovation goals, the association said
The consortium approach with Centre for Development of Advanced Computing, Defence Research and Development Organisation and Indian Space Research Organisation along with state government’s support will make SCL facility highly successful and Impactful, it added.
Electronics and Information Technology Minister, Ashwini Vaishnaw, had said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has drawn a clear roadmap for SCL Mohali. This will include a large-scale increase in production capacity, targeting 100 times the production of wafers from current levels.
SCL Mohali will also continue to support students, researchers, and startups by providing fabrication facilities that turn their chip designs into real silicon.
