The Union Cabinet’s approval of a new semiconductor manufacturing unit near the upcoming Noida International Airport at Jewar, spearheaded by HCL Group and Foxconn, marks a significant leap in India's effort to build a robust, self-reliant semiconductor ecosystem under the India Semiconductor Mission.
This project, set to be established in the Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (YEIDA) region, will be India’s sixth major semiconductor facility and is backed by a ₹3,700 crore investment, underscoring strong private sector commitment to India's high-tech ambitions.
Key Highlights of the HCL-Foxconn Semiconductor Unit:
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Location: Near Jewar Airport, within YEIDA zone, Uttar Pradesh.
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Output: Will manufacture display driver chips, essential for mobile phones, laptops, personal computers, automobiles, and other electronics.
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Capacity: Projected to handle 20,000 wafers monthly, translating to up to 36 million chips per month.
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Partnership Strength:
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HCL brings decades of hardware and IT services expertise.
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Foxconn is a global leader in electronics manufacturing, lending technical and global operational scale.
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National Semiconductor Growth Trajectory:
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With this latest approval, India now has six major semiconductor fabs in development, all part of the broader India Semiconductor Mission.
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The country’s chip design ecosystem is also flourishing:
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70+ startups active in chip design.
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Students from 270 academic institutions are contributing.
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20 new chip designs have been successfully taped out at SCL Mohali.
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Global Players Increasing India Focus:
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Leading semiconductor equipment makers like Applied Materials and Lam Research are setting up operations in India.
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Major chemical and gas providers like Merck, Linde, Air Liquide, and Inox are scaling production to support local chip fabs.
Strategic Importance:
The Jewar semiconductor plant is more than just another factory—it reflects India’s long-term industrial transformation in strategic sectors such as:
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Electronics and consumer devices
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Electric vehicles
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Defence technology
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Healthcare instrumentation
By integrating chip manufacturing with global supply chains, India aims to reduce import dependence, bolster national security, and emerge as a global semiconductor hub. However, much will depend on how efficiently these projects scale, train skilled manpower, and attract ancillary industries over the next 3–5 years.
This announcement comes at a time when the global semiconductor industry is undergoing massive restructuring due to geopolitical realignments, giving India a unique window of opportunity to establish itself as a credible alternative to traditional hubs like Taiwan, South Korea, and China.
