A surge in the signing of Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) was observed at SEMICON India 2026, as India's efforts in semiconductors shift from project approval to commercial production. During the event, companies announced several partnerships covering chip manufacturing, packaging, materials, design infrastructure, and workforce development.
These announcements came against the backdrop of the commencement of commercial production at CDIL Semiconductor facilities in Mohali and Suchi Semicon in Palsana, Gujarat. Prime Minister Narendra Modi highlighted the start of production at these two plants on the first day of the event.
The series of industry collaborations and agreements presented throughout the day reflects India's ambition to establish all necessary levels around semiconductor manufacturing—from critical materials and equipment to packaging, suppliers, chip design, and talent.
Tata Electronics was one of the most active participants. Its CEO, Randhir Thakur, stated that the company plans to sign 16 agreements with domestic and international partners at SEMICON India 2026. These deals involve companies from Europe, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, India, and other markets.
Tata Electronics entered into a strategic partnership with Nexperia, which spans semiconductor manufacturing, packaging, technology, and research. Under this partnership, part of Nexperia's semiconductor portfolio will be manufactured at the upcoming Tata Electronics plant in Dholera, Gujarat, while discrete products will be packaged at the semiconductor assembly and testing facility in Jagirod, Assam. The companies also intend to collaborate in research, technology, and developing the relevant supply chain.
Furthermore, Tata Electronics joined forces with Ascendas Firstspace to create a 363-acre supplier park in Dholera. This park is intended to provide ready infrastructure for companies supplying components to the semiconductor industry. Ascendas Firstspace will lead the park's development, while Tata Electronics will provide industry requirements and assist in engaging suppliers.
Separately, Tata Electronics announced a collaboration with Japan's JSR Corporation regarding critical semiconductor materials, including photoresists and functional chemicals. This partnership also includes exploring technical support, warehousing, and future localization in India.
Another collaboration with Semiconductor Laboratory focuses on research and manufacturing in key semiconductor technology areas, as well as supporting chip design services, supply chain localization, and workforce development.
Tata Electronics also connected with Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya to train personnel ready for semiconductor facilities in engineering and infrastructure fields. With support from L&T EduTech and Jacobs Solutions, this initiative aims to develop curricula, certification, and training in areas such as cleanroom construction and semiconductor manufacturing.
Tata Electronics' broader list of partners includes Nexperia and BESI from Europe; JSR, Fujifilm, Sumitomo, and Sojitz from Japan; Ascendas Firstspace from Singapore; and L&T Semiconductors, Inox Air Products, Semiconductor Laboratory, and Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya from India.
The announcements also highlighted efforts to integrate chip design in India with domestic manufacturing and packaging capabilities. Suchi Semicon reported the successful packaging of an India-designed chip intended for industrial and automotive applications, including battery management systems, power source switching, LED lighting, HVAC systems, and home control systems. This announcement coincided with the start of commercial production at Suchi Semicon's OSAT facility in Palsana. CDIL Semiconductor also began production at its Mohali facility on Thursday.
Individually, Sensesemi Technologies and Quest Global announced a collaboration to integrate an India-developed sensor chip into next-generation smart metering solutions targeting the Indian, South Asian, and European markets. CDIL Semiconductors and Japan's Shinjin Electronic Manufacturing Company also announced a partnership to develop a TO-247 discrete power package using assembly and packaging technologies developed at CDIL's ATMP facility in Mohali.
The India Semiconductor Mission and Intel India launched an introductory course on semiconductors designed for students, faculty, specialists, entrepreneurs, and policymakers. The program will be available in 23 Indian languages and over 240 languages worldwide, aiming to expand access to fundamental knowledge in semiconductors.
Intel and the National Informatics Centre also announced an MoU focused on developing skills and capabilities in artificial intelligence and semiconductor technologies. The government separately announced six regional centers under the ChipIN initiative to expand access to advanced chip design infrastructure. These centers will provide academic institutions, researchers, startups, and innovators access to industrial-level automated electronic design tools, fabrication services, computing infrastructure, training, and technical support.
According to the announcement, the ChipIN Center has already provided access to these resources to over one lakh engineers from about 500 organizations. The regional centers are intended to bring these capabilities closer to institutions in the northern, southern, eastern, western, central, and northeastern parts of the country.
This series of agreements comes against the backdrop of the government's implementation of the Semicon 2.0 program, approved in July with allocations of ₹1,27,500 crore. This program has six focus areas: chip design, machinery and materials, new fabs, advanced packaging, research and development, and human resources.
Minister of Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw stated during the event that the first phase of India's semiconductor program was mainly focused on building a foundation, while the second phase will focus more on creating a supportive supply chain. The government plans to increase support for chip design companies, including startups, through funding, tool provision, intellectual property support, deployment assistance, and customer sourcing. It also aims to support at least 200 companies and startups in chip design and train over one lakh technical specialists and manufacturing workers under Semicon 2.0.
Modi urged fabless companies to create and retain intellectual property in India, and he called upon equipment manufacturers and chemical and industrial gas suppliers to expand their presence in the country. This flow of agreements underscores the next challenge for India's semiconductor ambitions: attracting fabs and packaging plants is only part of the equation. Building a competitive domestic industry will also depend on India's ability to develop the materials, equipment, suppliers, design capabilities, and skilled workforce needed to support these plants at scale.
