Netherlands-based Dutch lithography equipment maker ASML has signed a strategic partnership with Tata Electronics to supply advanced lithography tools for India’s first commercial 300-mm semiconductor fab in Dholera, Gujarat.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), announced Friday (May 15), will see ASML provide its suite of lithography equipment and technical expertise to support the $11 billion facility, which is expected to manufacture chips for automotive, mobile devices, and AI applications.

The facility will have a capacity of 50,000 wafers per month and will manufacture high-performance logic chips, radio-frequency-enabled SoCs for Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, IoT products, power-management ICs, display drivers, and non-volatile memory devices, Tata Electronics said at an earlier industry event.

“ASML’s deep expertise in holistic lithography solutions will ensure the timely ramp of our fab in Dholera, create a resilient and trusted supply chain for our global customers,” said Randhir Thakur, CEO and managing director of Tata Electronics.

The partnership extends beyond equipment supply to include workforce training, supply chain development, and research infrastructure—areas critical to establishing India’s semiconductor manufacturing capabilities from the ground up.

Randhir Thakur, CEO and managing director of Tata Electronics Randhir Thakur, CEO and managing director of Tata Electronics ASML president and CEO Christophe Fouquet described India’s expanding semiconductor sector as presenting “compelling opportunities” and said the company was committed to building long-term partnerships in the region.

The Dholera facility will produce semiconductors using technology nodes ranging from 28 nm to 110 nm and serve global customers. The company has defended its focus on these mature nodes, noting that pure-play foundry revenue from such nodes totals approximately $40 billion annually, rising to $60 billion when including integrated device manufacturers.

“Large-panel display drivers alone account for about 1.2 million wafers per year and are likely to remain at 110 to 130 nm for a long time,” the company said earlier during an industry keynote. “In smartphones, while the application processor uses leading-edge nodes, components such as codecs, display drivers, audio amplifiers, and radio frequency front ends are built on older nodes.”

Construction is currently underway at the 160-acre site, with around 1,500 workers engaged. Sources close to EE Times stated that the facility is being designed as a fully automated, “lights-out” Industry 4.0 facility and is planned to be operational in 2027.

Tata Electronics has already partnered with Taiwan’s Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation (PSMC) to gain access to technology. EE Times has learned that the company has also signed agreements with Tokyo Electron for equipment supply, Synopsys for design tools, and customers such as Analog Devices, HighMax, and Bharat Electronics.

The company, established in 2020 as a Tata Group venture, operates facilities across Gujarat, Assam, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka.

According to verified sources, EE Times has learned that the partnership comes as semiconductor consumption in India is expected to more than triple from approximately $34 billion to around $110 billion over the next eight years, driven by growth in wireless, consumer electronics, and automotive sectors.

The deal represents a deepening of semiconductor technology cooperation between India and the Netherlands, as both countries seek to strengthen their positions in global chip supply chains.

By: DocMemory
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