Micron Launches India’s First Commercial Semiconductor Assembly Facility in Gujarat
Micron Technology has inaugurated a major semiconductor assembly and test facility in Sanand, Gujarat, marking India’s first commercial operation dedicated to semiconductor assembly. The facility converts advanced DRAM and NAND wafers from Micron’s global manufacturing network into finished memory and storage products. Built with a combined investment of about $2.75 billion by Micron and government partners, the site has already begun commercial production and is certified under ISO 9001:2015 standards. Once fully ramped, the first phase will include more than 500,000 square feet of cleanroom space—making it one of the largest single-floor semiconductor assembly and test cleanrooms globally. The company expects to assemble and test tens of millions of chips in 2026, scaling to hundreds of millions by 2027, with the first shipment of India-manufactured memory modules already delivered to Dell Technologies for laptops produced in the country.
The inauguration was attended by Narendra Modi, Bhupendra Patel, and Ashwini Vaishnaw. According to Micron CEO Sanjay Mehrotra, the facility strengthens the company’s global assembly and test network while supporting rising demand for memory driven by artificial intelligence workloads. The plant is designed to meet or exceed LEED Gold standards and uses water-saving technologies enabling zero liquid discharge. Its launch also aligns with India’s broader semiconductor push under the India Semiconductor Mission, with the 2026–27 budget allocating ₹1,000 crore for the next phase aimed at semiconductor equipment, materials, and domestic chip intellectual property. With 10 semiconductor projects worth ₹1.60 lakh crore already approved across six states, India aims to meet 70–75 percent of domestic chip demand by 2029 and target advanced nodes such as 3-nm and 2-nm, positioning itself among the world’s leading semiconductor manufacturing nations by 2035. For global technology companies, the development signals India’s emergence as a new hub in the semiconductor supply chain, offering opportunities for partnerships in manufacturing, packaging, talent development, and market expansion.
Editor’s Note: Micron Technology has inaugurated India’s first commercial semiconductor assembly and test facility in Sanand, Gujarat, with a $2.75 billion investment, producing DRAM and NAND-based memory and storage products for global demand. The project, aligned with India’s Semiconductor Mission, aims to scale production to hundreds of millions of chips by 2027, positioning India as a key hub in the global semiconductor supply chain.
ADATA Semiconductor to Build DRAM and Flash Manufacturing Facility in Tamil Nadu
M. K. Stalin, Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, laid the foundation stone for a new semiconductor facility of ADATA Semiconductor Pvt Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of ADATA Technology of Taiwan, at the SIPCOT Industrial Park. The plant will manufacture DRAM memory modules and flash drives, strengthening India’s growing electronics manufacturing ecosystem. According to Guidance Tamil Nadu, the project follows a memorandum of understanding signed on January 8, 2024, involving a committed investment of ₹931 crore and the creation of around 823 jobs. As the first Taiwanese memory module manufacturer to set up production in India, ADATA’s investment is considered an important milestone for the state’s semiconductor ambitions under the India Semiconductor Mission.
The facility also comes at a time when global DRAM shortages have been affecting the smartphone and electronics sectors, highlighting the importance of strengthening domestic memory production. Tamil Nadu, which contributes more than 41 percent of India’s electronics exports, continues to expand its high-tech manufacturing base through targeted policies and incentives aimed at semiconductor and electronics companies. The project signals growing opportunities for international technology firms seeking to diversify manufacturing and supply chains, as India positions itself as a key destination for semiconductor assembly, electronics production, and component manufacturing within the global technology ecosystem.
Editor’s Note: ADATA Semiconductor has begun building a ₹931 crore DRAM and flash manufacturing facility in Tamil Nadu’s SIPCOT Industrial Park, expected to create 823 jobs and strengthen India’s electronics ecosystem. As the first Taiwanese memory module maker in India, the project marks a milestone in the India Semiconductor Mission and highlights Tamil Nadu’s growing role in global semiconductor and electronics supply chains.
Xiaomi Challenges $72 Million Indian Tax Ruling in Supreme Court
Xiaomi has challenged an Indian tax tribunal ruling that accused the smartphone maker of evading about $72 million in import duties linked to royalty payments. The dispute stems from Xiaomi’s long-standing manufacturing model in India, where contract manufacturers import components from China, pay customs duties, and assemble smartphones locally. In November, an Indian tribunal ruled that the value of imported components had been undervalued between 2017 and 2020 because the import price excluded royalties of about 2–5 percent paid to technology firms such as Qualcomm for using their chip technologies. Xiaomi has now appealed to the Supreme Court of India, arguing the tribunal wrongly classified the company as the “beneficial owner” of the components and incorrectly required it to pay customs duties on those royalty payments.
The case is being closely watched by global investors and manufacturers because it could set a precedent for how royalty agreements and contract manufacturing are treated under Indian customs law. Former Xiaomi contract manufacturers Flextronics Technologies India, part of Flex Ltd., and Bharat FIH, a unit of Foxconn, are also challenging the tribunal’s decision. If the ruling is upheld, the $72 million demand could rise to more than $150 million with interest and penalties, adding pressure on Xiaomi’s India business, which reported profits of about $31.7 million in the 2023–24 financial year. Legal experts say the outcome could affect multiple industries that rely on imported components and technology licensing, including firms such as Apple, Samsung Electronics, and Volkswagen, making the case an important test of India’s regulatory environment for global manufacturing and supply chains.
Editor’s Note: Xiaomi has appealed to India’s Supreme Court against a $72 million tax ruling that alleged it undervalued imported components by excluding royalty payments to firms like Qualcomm. The case, also contested by former contract manufacturers Flextronics and Bharat FIH, could set a precedent for how royalties and contract manufacturing are treated under Indian customs law, with potential implications for global companies such as Apple, Samsung, and Volkswagen.
India’s IT Sector Set to Cross $300 Billion Revenue Mark as AI Reshapes Industry
NASSCOM has projected that India’s information technology sector will surpass $300 billion in revenue for the first time in the fiscal year ending March 31, reaching about $315 billion with a year-on-year growth of 6.1 percent. The industry body said the growth is being supported by improving global demand for IT services as trade tensions ease and companies increase spending on artificial intelligence technologies. However, Indian IT stocks have faced pressure in recent weeks, mirroring global trends as investors worry that advanced AI tools could disrupt traditional outsourcing and software service models. According to Srikanth Velamakanni, vice chairperson of NASSCOM, artificial intelligence is compressing some traditional work but simultaneously creating new opportunities, making AI a fundamental part of nearly every technology proposal worldwide.
NASSCOM estimates that AI-related revenues from services firms could reach between $10 billion and $12 billion by fiscal 2026, with the figure expected to grow significantly in the coming years. Leading Indian IT service providers such as Tata Consultancy Services, Infosys, and HCLTech have expressed optimism about stronger demand in the next fiscal year. The sector is also expected to add around 135,000 net jobs this year, bringing total employment to about 5.95 million. For international technology firms and global enterprises, the expansion underscores India’s continued importance as a major hub for IT services, digital transformation, and AI-driven solutions, offering partnership and outsourcing opportunities as companies worldwide accelerate their adoption of artificial intelligence.
Editor’s Note: India’s IT industry is projected to reach $315 billion in revenue by March 2026, driven by global demand for services and rising adoption of artificial intelligence. While AI is reshaping traditional outsourcing models, it is also creating new opportunities, with AI-related revenues expected to hit $10–12 billion by 2026 and the sector adding 135,000 jobs this year.
US Imposes Up to 126% Preliminary Duties on Solar Imports from India
The United States Department of Commerce has imposed preliminary duties of up to 126% on solar imports from India after determining that government subsidies gave manufacturers an unfair pricing advantage in the US market. Similar levies were announced on imports from Indonesia (86–143%) and Laos (81%). The decision follows complaints from the Alliance for American Solar Manufacturing and Trade, which alleged that heavily subsidised solar products—often linked to production by Chinese companies operating in Asia—were undercutting domestic manufacturers. The move comes as Chinese solar producers shift manufacturing bases across Asia to bypass earlier US tariffs imposed on countries such as Vietnam, Malaysia, Thailand and Cambodia.
The duties are separate from the broader global tariffs introduced by Donald Trump, some of which were recently struck down by the Supreme Court of the United States. Imports of solar modules from India, Indonesia and Laos accounted for about 57% of US shipments in the first half of 2025, according to BloombergNEF, while Indian exports alone reached $792.6 million in 2024. Analysts at Citigroup Inc. say the steep duties could effectively shut Indian manufacturers out of the US market if confirmed when the final decision is issued on July 6. The case also carries wider implications for non-Indian companies, particularly Chinese and multinational solar firms that have relocated manufacturing to India and Southeast Asia to maintain access to the US market; the tariffs could disrupt those supply chains and raise costs for global solar developers and equipment buyers.
Editor’s Note: The U.S. Department of Commerce has imposed preliminary duties of up to 126% on solar imports from India, citing unfair subsidies, with similar levies on Indonesia and Laos. If finalized in July, the tariffs could block Indian manufacturers from the U.S. market and disrupt supply chains for Chinese and multinational solar firms operating across Asia.
AI Drives 37% Surge in India’s Deeptech Funding to $2.3 Billion in 2025
Deeptech funding in India rose 37 percent year-on-year to $2.3 billion in 2025, significantly outpacing overall venture capital growth and reinforcing artificial intelligence as the central driver of the country’s startup ecosystem, according to the latest Indian Tech Start-Up Report released by NASSCOM and Zinnov. Total funding for technology startups increased 23 percent to $9.1 billion during the year, even as investors adopted a more selective approach, prioritizing startups with clear commercialization potential. The report described this shift as a move from “volume-driven expansion” to “execution-led maturity,” with capital increasingly directed toward ventures that demonstrate strong product-market fit and scalable business models.
India now hosts more than 4,200 deeptech startups, including over 550 founded in 2025, with artificial intelligence dominating the sector. AI-focused companies account for 84 percent of deeptech startups and attract about 91 percent of total deeptech investment, with applications spanning enterprise software, cybersecurity, defence technologies, and industrial systems. Rajesh Nambiar, president of NASSCOM, said the ecosystem has entered a more disciplined growth phase as AI becomes foundational infrastructure for innovation across industries. Despite the funding rebound, about 74 percent of deals were still concentrated at seed and early stages, while nearly 85 percent of seed-stage startups failed to reach Series A within five years, highlighting the ongoing challenge of scaling early innovation into sustainable businesses. For global investors and technology companies, the surge signals expanding opportunities to partner with or invest in India’s rapidly evolving AI and deeptech landscape as it matures into a major innovation hub.
Editor’s Note: Deeptech funding in India surged 37% to $2.3 billion in 2025, with artificial intelligence driving 91% of investments and accounting for 84% of deeptech startups. Despite strong growth and over 550 new AI-focused ventures, most deals remain at seed stage, highlighting challenges in scaling early innovation into sustainable businesses.