Pledging to create local jobs, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee announced a significant development as the state is buckling up to see India’s groundbreaking defence semiconductor manufacturing plant.
On Thursday, Mamata Banerjee, the Chief Minister of West Bengal, announced that her government has identified the site for India’s first national security semiconductor fabrication plant, part of a partnership with the US. During a meeting at the state secretariat, US Consul General Kathy Giles-Diaz met with Banerjee.
Furthermore, the meeting, which included Chief Secretary Manoj Pant and former Chief Secretary Alapan Bandyopadhyay, a proposal was made to create a roadmap by the second week of January next year.
Banerjee stated that the land for the fab has been prepared and that US representatives have visited a potential site. Once established, the centre will become a global landmark, utilising local talent and improving infrastructure. She expressed optimism about its potential to create substantial employment opportunities in West Bengal.
The Chief Minister added that the state IT department and Webel have worked on this initiative for the past three years.
Highlighting the establishment of six industrial and rail corridors in the state, she said that international semiconductor companies like Global Foundries, Synopsys, and Micron have conducted several technology symposiums in the state.
This ambitious India-US joint initiative was unveiled last Saturday after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Joe Biden discussed it in Wilmington. The project will receive backing from the India Semiconductor Mission and will be part of a partnership involving Bharat Semi, 3rdiTech, and the US Space Force.
The Economic Times have reported that this facility will not only be India’s first but also one of the world’s first multi-material fabrication plants dedicated to national security.