India, US to set up strategic chip fabrication centre

The US Space Force will collaborate with India Semiconductor Mission, Bharat Semi and 3rdiTech to set up a manufacturing facility for infrared, gallium nitride and silicon carbide semiconductors.

The announcement was made in a joint statement released by the White House after a meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Joe Biden in Delaware.

The new facility, to be set up in Jewar, Uttar Pradesh, will develop semiconductors which will find applications in advanced sensing, communication, and power electronics, with a focus on national security, self-driven vehicles and green energy. 

Named 'Shakti,' it will be the world's first multi-material fabs dedicated to national security with focus on key technology needed for modern warfare.

Further, under the partnership, Global Foundries (GF) will establish a GF Kolkata Power Center, to facilitate resilient, secure, and sustainable semiconductor supply chains.

The Kolkata facility will undertake mutually beneficial research that would lead to a big leap in chip technology, enabling advances in pollution control, connected vehicles, internet of things, AI, and data centers, according to the joint statement.

Besides, a new US-India Advanced Materials R&D Forum has been set up to expand collaboration between American and Indian universities, national laboratories, and private sector researchers.

These technologies will also find significant commercial applications, including railways, telecom infrastructure, data centers, green energy, etc.