Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the semiconductor assembly and testing plant of US-based chip maker Micron Technology in Sanand, Gujarat on Saturday (February 28).The state-of-the-art ATMP (Assembly, Testing, Marking and Packaging) facility has been set up with an investment of Rs 22,516 crore. Located near Ahmedabad, the Sanand plant is a major step in India’s semiconductor journey and is being described as the country’s first semiconductor fabrication-linked facility of this scale.
Investment and employment generation of Rs 22,516 crore
Micron Semiconductor Technology India Pvt. According to news agency ANI, Limited has invested Rs 22,516 crore in this project. The Gujarat government had signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Micron in June 2023 to set up a $2.75 billion semiconductor assembly and testing unit in Sanand.Currently, the plant employs approximately 2,000 people. This number is expected to increase significantly once the facility is fully operational.“Ultimately, 5,000 direct employment opportunities will be created. According to the Micron team, Divyang (specially abled) citizens are serving as operators and technicians, and the facility provides opportunities to skilled people from all sections of the society,” the state government release said.The company had earlier said that the project would also create around 15,000 indirect jobs.Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel is closely monitoring the project and officials say the plant is on track to begin operations on schedule.
Focus on AI-driven memory demand
The Sanand facility will manufacture solid state drives (SSDs) as well as RAM-type DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory) and NAND products, which are widely used in computing, smartphones, servers, data centers and portable electronic devices.The inauguration comes at a time when artificial intelligence (AI) has become a major global focus area. AI systems rely heavily on high-performance memory and storage solutions.Sanjay Mehrotra, chairman, president and CEO of Micron, said memory and storage are at the heart of modern technology, especially in the AI area.He said that AI systems require strong memory and storage support to function efficiently. As AI applications are responding faster and in real-time, the demand for advanced memory solutions is continuously increasing, he was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.
How ATMP Plant Works
ATMP plant operations begin after manufacturing semiconductor wafers.The chip making process begins with sand, from which pure silicon is extracted. The silicon is melted and shaped into a cylindrical shape called an ingot. This mass is cut into thin discs called wafers.In manufacturing plants, electronic patterns are printed on these wafers. Through a process called photolithography, multiple layers are added to create transistors and memory circuits. The wafers are then cut into small square pieces, called chips.These chips are sent to the ATMP facility. At Sanand, the chips will first be assembled, then tested for speed, memory capacity and overall performance. After testing, they will be marked with required details and finally packed for the market.As per ANI report, the plant will receive advanced DRAM and NAND wafers from Micron’s global facilities and convert them into finished memory products for both domestic and global markets.With this launch, India is taking an important step towards strengthening its semiconductor ecosystem and meeting the growing global demand for memory and storage solutions, especially in the rapidly growing AI sector.
