"Assam will always be grateful": CM Sarma thanks Ratan Tata for building semiconductor plant in state

New Delhi [India], March 21 (ANI): Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday expressed his gratitude to former Tata Sons chairman and philanthropist Ratan Tata on Thursday for building the state's first semiconductor manufacturing plant.
Taking to his official handle on X, CM Sarma said Assam will be forever grateful to the veteran industrialist for enabling the commercial production of semiconductors while opening up new employment opportunities in the tea-growing state.
"My visit to Mumbai yesterday was extremely special. Assam will always be grateful to @RNTata2000 Ji for establishing the state in the world's semiconductor circuit and creating new job opportunities for our people by expanding the group's presence," the Assam CM posted from his X handle on Thursday.
Tata Semiconductor Assembly and Test Pvt Ltd (TSAT) will set up a semiconductor manufacturing unit in Assam's Morigaon.
With a capacity of producing 48 million chips per day, this facility is being built at a cost of Rs 27,000 crore. Segments that are to be covered by this new semiconductor unit are automotive, electric vehicles, consumer electronics, telecom, and mobile phones.
Earlier, on Wednesday, CM Sarma said leading industrial captains never considered setting up factories or manufacturing units in the Northeast during previous phases of industrialisation across the country.
However, the region, which was largely neglected in the past, is now central to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of transformative development and technological revolution, Sarma added.
Ratan Tata, whose conglomerate has invested Rs 27,000 crore into the semiconductor plant in Morigaon, said the manufacturing of semiconductors will put Assam on the global map.
"The investments being made in Assam transform the state into a complex treatment for cancer care. Today, the state government of Assam, in partnership with the Tata group, will make Assam a major player in sophisticated semiconductors," Ratan Tata posted on his X timeline.
He tagged his post with images of himself along with CM Sarma and Tata Sons Chairman N Chandrasekaran.
The Tatas, in collaboration with the Assam government, has already set up several cancer care hospitals across the state.
"This new development will put Assam on the global map. We wish to thank the Chief Minister of Assam, Himanta Biswa Sarma for his support and vision that have made all this possible," the former Tata Sons chairman posted on X.
Earlier, on Tuesday, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw assured that the first semi-conductor chip in the country would be rolled out soon.
On March 13, Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for the three semiconductor facilities that are being built at a combined cost of Rs 1.25 lakh crore. Two of these units are coming in Gujarat while the third is being built in Assam.
The Tatas are setting up two of these three plants--one each in Gujarat and Assam.
While the semiconductor industry in India is still in its nascent stage, various local and multinational companies have evinced an interest in tapping into its vast potential.
Meanwhile, American chip maker Micron's high-end semiconductor fabrication plant at Gujarat's Sanand, which is India's first, is coming up at a rapid pace. It is expected to be operational in late 2024. (ANI)