Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday said the state government has identified land required to set up the proposed semiconductor plant in Calcutta.
“We held a meeting with the US Consul General today where we informed him that we have kept the land ready for the semiconductor plant... The IT department and Webel, a state-owned company, were working on this over the past three years. The semiconductor plant would generate a huge employment opportunity in the state,” said Banerjee at Nabanna.
Chief secretary Manoj Pant said a team of the state government was in Bangalore to discuss the proposed plant.
“They are trying to understand the requirements for setting up the plant. The state would do everything to meet the needs,” he said.
Two of the major requirements for a fabrication unit are water and electricity. Pant said Bengal is fortunate to be endowed with both.
“There are many aspects to the semiconductor chain. GlobalFoundries (GF) already has a base here doing R&D which is a big part. We are trying to understand what they need in future and accordingly prepare ourselves,” Pant added.
While GF on Monday had clarified it is not announcing any new investment in India, over and above the existing R&D unit located in Rajarhat named Kolkata Power Centre, the Modi government a day later posted on X that a fabrication unit will come up in Calcutta.
Pointing out that India and the US have teamed up for semiconductor breakthrough, signalling the first US military collaboration on high-value technology with India, the MyGovIndia handle posted on X: “In a historic collaboration, the US military and India launch the “Shakti” semiconductor manufacturing plant in Calcutta, supported by the India Semiconductor Mission.
“This facility will produce advanced semiconductors, marking the first tech partnership between Indian businesses and the US Space Force, as well as the first of its kind within the Quad group.”
The semiconductor project burst into public domain on Sunday from a joint statement issued by the White House on Sunday during PM Modi’s visit to the US and his meeting with President Joe Biden.
There has been intense speculation since then about the nature of the venture that would come up here. Moreover, there is also a competition between two major political parties, Modi’s BJP and Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress about taking credit for bringing the plant here.
Cable landing station
Bengal will get wired to the global data highway by the first quarter of 2026 when Reliance Jio completes its undersea cable landing station in Digha, Amit Mitra, adviser to Bengal CM, informed at the 171st AGM of Bengal Chamber of Commerce & Industry on Thursday.
“This will spur the growth of the IT industry and data centres in the state,” Mitra said. There are 11 data centres coming up in Calcutta and seven of them are in different stages of completion.
The former finance minister, who had also served as IT minister, claimed the progressive policies of Mamata Banerjee government on broadband, data centre and cable landing station have cumulatively helped Bengal attract the proposal on semiconductor project now.
He informed that 41 companies have taken land in the Silicon Valley Hub in Rajarhat where 200 acres have been allocated.
