Tata Electronics sends staff to Taiwan for training in chip fab: report

Tata Electronics is sending its staff to Taiwan for training in specialized skills needed to run the company’s upcoming semiconductor fabrication and assembly and test facility in Dholera, Gujarat, The Economic Times reported.

Tata Electronics, a fully owned subsidiary of Tata Sons Ltd, is building the Dholera facility in partnership with Taiwanese chipmaker Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp. (PSMC).

PSMC’s ongoing team member training program in Taiwan is a core part of this collaboration, the report said, citing people aware of the developments.

The Dholera fab is designed to produce up to 50,000 wafers monthly and will deploy advanced automation, data analytics, and machine learning to maximize efficiency.

Chips made at the facility will serve AI, automotive, computing, data storage, and wireless communication applications.

The training is being conducted in batches of 50 to 75 employees, with fresh graduates and experienced professionals participating to address India’s critical talent gap in semiconductor manufacturing, the report added.

Since April, in addition to the training in Taiwan, Tata Electronics has strengthened its leadership team by appointing top executives from global chipmakers such as Intel and GlobalFoundries.

Last month, Tata Electronics appointed Tim McIntosh, an Intel veteran, as vice-president and head of operations at its new Tata Semiconductor Assembly and Test (TSAT) facility in Morigaon, Assam.

In April, K.C. Ang, formerly of GlobalFoundries, was named president and head of Tata Semiconductor Manufacturing Pvt. Ltd.

Under the definitive agreement with PSMC, the Taiwanese partner is expected to provide Tata Electronics with training, technology licensing, design, and construction support for the Dholera fab.

The ₹91,000 crore ($1.07 billion) project is expected to generate over 20,000 skilled jobs, both directly and indirectly.

In its initial phase, the Dholera fab will manufacture 28-nanometer chips, with plans to produce 22-nanometer chips in subsequent stages.

Tata Electronics declined to comment and PSMC did not respond to an emailed query.