Tata, Powerchip to build India's first semiconductor fab

BENGALURU -- India on Thursday approved its maiden semiconductor fabrication plant and two assembly units that will be developed jointly by local conglomerates and firms from Japan, Taiwan and Thailand, signaling that New Delhi's ambitious program to kick-start domestic chip manufacturing is gaining momentum after a sputtering start.

The Tata Group and Taiwanese foundry Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp. will start construction of the fab, projected to cost 910 billion rupees ($11 billion), within three months, Ashwini Vaishnaw, India's electronics minister, said in a press conference.