RAS question
India's first semiconductor fabrication plant under the India Semiconductor Mission is being set up by Tata Electronics in partnership with which company, in Dholera, Gujarat?
Correct answer: (D) Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation (PSMC).
India's first semiconductor fabrication plant under the India Semiconductor Mission is being set up in Dholera, Gujarat, by Tata Electronics with Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation (PSMC) expertise.
Explanation
Tata Electronics is setting up India's first semiconductor fab in Dholera, Gujarat, with Taiwan's Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation (PSMC). The official PIB release identifies the project as India's first commercial semiconductor fab in Dholera and says it brings PSMC's expertise to India, which directly establishes why PSMC is the correct partner. The fab is planned for chips at the 28 nm node and above, aimed at sectors such as automotive, computing and IoT. So the question is not asking about a general global semiconductor leader; it is testing the specific India Semiconductor Mission project and the Tata-PSMC partnership behind the Dholera fab.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) TSMC is a major Taiwanese chipmaker, but it is not identified as Tata Electronics' partner for the Dholera fab.
- (B) Samsung is not named in the official PIB release as a partner in the Dholera semiconductor fab.
- (C) Intel is not connected to Tata Electronics' Dholera fab under the India Semiconductor Mission.
Concept
This tests current developments in India's semiconductor manufacturing policy under the India Semiconductor Mission. It recurs in RAS because technology self-reliance, industrial policy and major Gujarat-based semiconductor projects are common Science and Technology current-affairs themes.