Micron India is planning to start exporting semiconductor chips, which will be packaged at its facility in Sanand, Gujarat, by early next year. The company intends to meet international demand for these chips, targeting sectors such as data centres, smartphones, notebooks, IoT devices, and the automotive industry.
Micron India is set to launch its first batch of chips, packaged at its Sanand facility in Gujarat, by the start of next year, with the majority destined for export, according to the company’s India managing director, Anand Ramamoorthy.
Ramamoorthy shared that although domestic demand for semiconductor chips is on the rise, it still pales in comparison to global needs. He made these remarks at a company event in the city where new partnerships with higher education institutions were announced. He emphasized that no factory in India would exclusively serve the domestic market; instead, the focus would largely be on exports. He noted that supporting Indian customers is convenient, but having a factory that meets global standards in turnaround time, cost, and quality is significantly more impactful.
He also mentioned that the chips produced at the Sanand unit would primarily be used in data centres, smartphones, notebooks, Internet-of-things devices, and the automotive sector.
Ramamoorthy highlighted that the local demand would be shaped by the offerings of domestic chip foundries, including one established by the Tata Group in collaboration with Taiwan’s Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation.
Micron is prepared to serve various sectors, with the dynamics of demand and supply influenced by factors such as inventory levels, turnaround times, pricing, and customer requirements.
He explained that it is essential to stay agile and nimble because it’s not predetermined that a chip made today will be used in a specific sector. These decisions can change quickly, which represents both the beauty and the challenge of the industry.
In 2023, Micron announced plans to establish a semiconductor chip assembly and testing facility in Sanand, Gujarat, marking the first such unit in India at that time, with a projected investment of USD 2.75 billion, of which USD 825 million will be directly invested by Micron.
Headquartered in Idaho, Micron employs over 40,000 people globally, including about 4,000 at its R&D centres in Hyderabad and Bengaluru. The company plans to increase its Indian workforce to 5,000 and expects to generate around 15,000 indirect jobs in the upcoming years.
Employees at Micron India’s R&D centres undergo various training programs, including sessions at global centres in the United States, Japan, and China. Moving forward, the company continues to focus on hiring recent college graduates, who make up to 30% of its R&D workforce in India.
Ramamoorthy also touched on the global talent shortage, noting that while it is often said that India experiences this issue, it is a worldwide challenge, especially in emerging sectors like cybersecurity and semiconductors, which consistently face a global scarcity of skilled talent.
