Lam Research India plans to establish a local office to support the project, which is set to produce up to 50,000 wafers monthly.
Tata Electronics is on track to build India’s first semiconductor fabrication facility in Dholera, Gujarat, in collaboration with Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation (PSMC). Once operational, Lam Research India, a subsidiary of the US-based wafer fabrication equipment supplier, will establish a local office to support the facility, according to Rangesh Raghavan, corporate VP and GM of Lam Research India.
The fab, with a manufacturing capacity of up to 50,000 wafers per month, marks a significant milestone in India’s semiconductor journey. Lam Research’s proprietary virtual fab, *Semiverse*, widely used for simulating fabrication processes, will play a pivotal role in optimizing operations.
Raghavan emphasized the importance of proximity to customers. “When the Tatas complete the fab in Dholera, we’ll have an office there to provide immediate support. Customers need direct access; we can’t manage this from Bengaluru,” he said.
Lam Research India has an established relationship with PSMC, a key collaborator in the project. “PSMC extensively uses our equipment. Once the Tata fab is operational, teams from Lam, PSMC, and the Tatas will work together,” Raghavan added. The use of *Semiverse* will also significantly cut costs, simulating experiments that would otherwise require millions of dollars to execute physically.
The company’s India division, operational for 24 years, plays a crucial role in its global operations. “Eighty percent of our revenues come from Asia. Our India team is better positioned to support customers than our US teams. Every Lam product involves contributions from the Indian team,” Raghavan stated.
Reflecting on pandemic-induced supply chain disruptions, Raghavan highlighted a surprising challenge: chip shortages impacting the production of their own machines. “We needed chips for our equipment, but our customers couldn’t supply them, creating delays,” he said. Raghavan stressed the value of a diversified ecosystem, adding, “No single country can manage the semiconductor industry alone. Lam has never relied entirely on one region.”
