energy applications.
The fab, which will be established with the objective of manufacturing infrared, gallium nitride and silicon carbide semiconductors, will be enabled by support from the India Semiconductor Mission as well as a strategic technology partnership between Bharat Semi, 3rdiTech, and the U.S. Space Force.This is the first ever India-US Semiconductor Fab cooperation of its kind. It is the first time ever the U.S. Military has agreed to do a technology partnership for these highly valued technologies with India. It’s a watershed moment as powerful as the civil nuclear deal, sources said.
The Fab becomes not only India’s first, but one of the world’s first Multi material fab for national security. The Bharat Semi fab titled Shakti also becomes one of the first fabs of its kind in the Quad.
The Fab will focus on three essential pillars for modern war fighting- advanced sensing, advanced communications and high voltage power electronics. These three areas also have huge growing needs for commercial sectors such as Railways, telecom infrastructure and data centres and green energy.
These semiconductors fall under a family known as compound semiconductors three main technology areas – Infrared, Galium Nitride and Silicon Carbide.
It is part of PM Narendra Modi’s vision for India to become a chip maker from a chip taker, officials said. This Fab becomes a national asset and further helps India’s goals of becoming a net security provider in the region.
India’s current import bill in these semiconductors for national security alone is USD 1 Billion a year. After this technology partnership, India will join a handful of elite nations with the capability and knowhow to manufacture these types of semiconductors on shore.
This is also a truly win-win partnership between India and U.S. as Bharat Semi and 3rdiTech have young growing engineering manpower.
The nature of the partnership with the US space force is a Technology partnership and technology transfer It is Space Forces first ever international partnership of this kind The US military has been working with 3rdiTech for last 5 years to build trust in our capabilities to now be able to enter into this next phase of partnership.
The cooperation with 3rdiTech and US space force was first announced during the June 2023 State Visit. Further details were announced during the Delhi June 2024 iCET review and finally the main plans to jointly build this fab were announced at the leaders bilateral meet in Delaware.
