Micron Technology, the American semiconductor manufacturer, expects to roll out the first batch of chips packaged at its new facility in Sanand, Gujarat early next year, with most of the output slated for export markets.
According to Anand Ramamoorthy, Managing Director of Micron India, while domestic demand for chips is growing, India’s total addressable market remains small compared to global semiconductor demand.
The chips packaged in Sanand will primarily serve data centres, smartphones, notebooks, Internet of Things devices, and the automotive sector.
“No factory for India will ever be making only for India. It will be a small part, and the bulk will be for exports,” Ramamoorthy stated, as per reports.
He emphasised that factories must be globally competitive in turnaround time, cost, and quality rather than just serving the local market.
The USD 2.75 billion Sanand plant, including Micron’s USD 825 million investment, marks India’s first semiconductor packaging unit.
Micron employs over 40,000 people worldwide, including 4,000 across its R&D centres in Hyderabad and Bengaluru, with plans to increase its India headcount to 5,000.
Ramamoorthy noted that factors like inventory, turnaround time, pricing, and customer needs will shape chip demand-supply dynamics.
He stressed the need for agility as chip allocation can change rapidly based on market conditions.
While keen to hire fresh graduates for 30 per cent of its India R&D workforce, Micron faces the global challenge of semiconductor talent shortages in emerging niche sectors like chips and cyber security.