Prime Minister Modi, who was in the U.S. to attend the Quad meeting, met President Biden at his residence in Delaware. “The two leaders hailed a watershed arrangement to establish a new semiconductor fabrication plant focused on advanced sensing, communication, and high-voltage power electronics for national security, next generation telecommunications, and green energy applications,” the White House said in a statement.
The fab, which will be established with the objective of manufacturing infrared, gallium nitride and silicon carbide semiconductors, will be enabled by support from the India Semiconductor Mission as well as a strategic technology partnership between Bharat Semi, 3rdiTech, and the U.S. Space Force.
The GlobalFoundries’ Kolkata Power Center will enhance “mutually beneficial linkages in research and development in chip manufacturing and enable game-changing advances for zero and low emission as well as connected vehicles, internet of things devices, AI, and data centers,” the White House added.
Global Foundries (GF) is a Nasdaq listed company headquartered in Malta, New York and includes the former chip fabs of AMD, IBM and others; it has revenues of over $7 billion and 12,000 employees all over the world.
The two leaders noted GF’s plans to explore longer term, cross-border manufacturing and technology partnerships with India which will deliver high-quality jobs in both countries. They also celebrated the new strategic partnership between the U.S. Department of State and the India Semiconductor Mission, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology in connection with the International Technology Security and Innovation Fund.
The U.S. Space Force will assist India in setting up its first-ever semiconductor fabrication plant aimed at enhancing national security. Established in 2019, The U.S. Space Force plays an important role in space warfare, missile defense, satellite operations, and space launches. The initiative is seen as a landmark achievement, on par with the historic Indo-U.S. civil nuclear deal of 2008.
The semiconductor fabrication plant, to be established in Jewar, located in India’s northern state of Uttar Pradesh, will be the world’s first multi-chip military fab. It’s focus will not be only on India’s national security needs, but also on exports to Quad nations, Indo-Pacific countries, and African markets.
COO & Co-Founder, of 3rdiTech, Vrinda Kapoor explained, “Bharat Semi and 3rdiTech will become India’s first homegrown integrated design manufacturer. The name Bharat brings with it the hope that this will grow into an institution, a deep technology behemoth at the global stage, a strategic asset that India can be proud of.”
In addition to defense and national security applications, the plant will serve commercial sectors such as railways, telecom infrastructure, data centers, and green energy. Currently, India imports semiconductors worth $1 billion annually for national security purposes alone.
