Tata Semiconductor appoints K.C. Ang to lead chip foundry business in India
New Delhi: Tata Semiconductor Manufacturing, a subsidiary of Tata Electronics Private Ltd, has appointed K.C. Ang, a seasoned semiconductor executive, to oversee its chip foundry operations, media reported.
The company, part of the Tata Group, entered semiconductor manufacturing under the Centre’s India Semiconductor Mission, launching a $10-billion chip foundry project in Dholera, Gujarat, in partnership with Taiwan’s Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (PSMC).
Ang, who has nearly three decades of industry experience, will spearhead Tata’s semiconductor business, Mint reported
Ang’s extensive experience in the semiconductor industry
Previously, Ang served as the president for the Asia market at GlobalFoundries, a US-headquartered chip manufacturing company, Tata Electronics said in a statement on Wednesday.
According to a report by market researcher Counterpoint, GlobalFoundries ranked as the world’s fifth-largest semiconductor manufacturer by volume in FY24, holding a 5% share of the global chip market.
Tata’s semiconductor push gains momentum
Randhir Thakur, managing director and CEO of Tata Electronics, stated that Ang will “drive manufacturing operations and work closely with our customers and ecosystem partners.”
He added that the company is making “steady progress towards commencing operations at our Dholera fab.”
A semiconductor fabrication plant, or ‘fab,’ is a high-tech facility where silicon wafers are used to manufacture data-processing chips.
These fabs require substantial capital investment, an uninterrupted supply of electricity and water, and highly skilled personnel to operate automated machinery with maximum efficiency.
India’s semiconductor landscape and Tata’s role
Processor chips, along with memory and storage components, contribute nearly 60% of the total value of modern electronic devices, according to industry experts.
Currently, India lacks an operational semiconductor fab catering to domestic or global markets.
The government-backed Semi-Conductor Laboratory (SCL) in Mohali, Punjab, is limited to manufacturing 180nm (nanometre) chips, while advanced consumer electronics now utilise 3nm chips.
Most mass-market electronics, including household appliances and automobiles, rely on chips ranging from 28-100nm.
Tata’s semiconductor project aims to address this gap.
On 1 February, Union IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw confirmed that the Dholera plant remains on track to produce India’s first domestically manufactured semiconductor chip “before the end of 2025.”
Impact on India’s semiconductor self-sufficiency
Industry experts believe that establishing a domestic chip manufacturing ecosystem could significantly reduce India’s dependence on semiconductor imports by fulfilling domestic demand.
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