It is Friday, January 16, 2026, and India has reached a historic milestone in its journey to become a global tech superpower. After years of policy planning and multi-billion dollar investments, the country has officially transitioned from a chip-design hub to a full-scale semiconductor manufacturer. Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw confirmed that four major plants—Micron, Tata Electronics, CG Power, and Kaynes SemiCon—are moving into commercial production this year.
The momentum peaked today with the announcement of SEALKAYNESQ Ltd, a strategic joint venture between Kaynes SemiCon and SEALSQ. This new entity will establish India’s first Outsourced Semiconductor Test & Personalization (OSTP) facility in Sanand, Gujarat. Crucially, the plant will integrate Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) directly into the silicon of Indian-made chips, a “secure-by-design” move intended to future-proof the nation’s defense, finance, and healthcare infrastructure against the next generation of cyber threats.
The 2026 Semiconductor Roadmap
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Micron Technology: Its Sanand facility has successfully completed pilot runs and is now ramping up for high-volume commercial production of DRAM and NAND flash memory, with the first global exports scheduled for this quarter.
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Tata Electronics: Trial runs have commenced at the Dholera Mega-Fab, while their massive OSAT facility in Assam is on track for pilot production by mid-2026. These plants will produce “workhorse” chips (28nm to 110nm) essential for EVs, 5G, and industrial automation.
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Global Collaboration: On January 12, Germany and India signed new cooperation agreements on critical minerals and semiconductor supply chains, further solidifying India’s role as a trusted “China+1” alternative for Western tech giants.
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Talent Explosion: India’s chip-design ecosystem has scaled to 298 universities, making it the only country outside of elite hubs like the US and Taiwan where students can design, manufacture, and validate chips at this scale.
