From Failed Chip Missions to Growing Fab Presence: Gujarat’s Rapid Leap

Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sangvi recounted three distinct chapters of India’s semiconductor journey while presenting Gujarat’s latest data‑centre roadmap. The first chapter began in 1976 with a cabinet‑level sanction for a semiconductor mission, which dissolved by 1990. A second effort between 2006 and 2009 promised a semiconductor park in Hyderabad, but the land earmarked for the park was diverted to a real‑estate project in 2009, leaving the dream unrealised.

The third phase, ignited in 2021, has seen Gujarat emerge as a leading beneficiary of the renewed national semiconductor mission. Within four months, the state commissioned more than three OSAT facilities, underscoring its ability to attract and operationalise high‑tech investments quickly.

Sangvi credited the state’s execution capability, backed by the Prime Minister’s vision and the Chief Minister’s guidance, for converting policy intent into tangible assets. He also pointed out that Gujarat’s new data‑centre policy, the first of its kind in India, builds on this momentum by offering extensive incentives to sustain and expand the semiconductor and data‑centre ecosystems.

The deputy chief minister concluded that Gujarat’s dual focus on chip fabrication and data‑centre development positions the state to become a central hub for advanced manufacturing and digital infrastructure in the coming decade.