The American semiconductor equipment manufacturer Lam Research plans to invest approximately 10,000 crore rupees in India with the aim of opening its first silicon component manufacturing facility in the country.
During the SEMICON India 2026 event on Thursday, Sesha Varadarajan, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Lam Research, announced that the planned plant will support a vertically integrated production process covering the manufacturing of silicon ingots and their processing for advanced semiconductor technologies. Furthermore, this facility will serve as a base for production and export within the company's global operations.
Varadarajan emphasized that this investment reflects the company's approach to investing in key aspects of the local ecosystem and will serve as a global base for production and export. The new facility is expected to deepen Lam's presence in local manufacturing and strengthen its collaboration with suppliers in India. The company did not disclose the location, production capacity, or start date of the new site.
Sesha Varadarajan noted that India has taken a critical role for Lam both in innovation and in operational activities. What started as a small engineering center for Lam in Bengaluru has transformed into a full-fledged research and development operation supporting various directions of Lam's global business. This center provides support to customers worldwide through solution development, testing, validation, and next-generation technology creation.
The company is also expanding partnerships with Indian firms in specialized materials, precision components, gases, chemicals, metrology, and manufacturing services. Varadarajan stated that establishing a manufacturing base will help local suppliers scale up their potential, enabling them to participate more deeply in global value chains in the semiconductor industry.
Lam is one of the world's leading suppliers of wafer fabrication equipment, whose technologies are used in critical semiconductor manufacturing processes, including deposition and etching. The company also provided an update on its Semiverse initiative, through which it collaborates with the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) and the India Semiconductor Mission to expand access to semiconductor manufacturing education. Lam has set a goal to train up to 60,000 students in India over ten years.
Varadarajan reported that more than 99 universities participated in the initiative in 2026, and the company expects to achieve its goal ahead of schedule. He added: 'Lam will meet our goal earlier and with higher metrics than we promised.' He concluded that their journey in India fully aligns with the India Semiconductor Mission, which represents a comprehensive commitment from silicon to systems.