Mohali, Apr 22 (KNN) India's Semi-Conductor Laboratory (SCL), the country's original semiconductor fabrication unit, located in Mohali in Punjab, is set for a massive Rs 10,000 crore modernisation plan backed by the Ministry of Electronics and IT.

Nearly 35 years after a devastating fire at its Mohali campus in Punjab, SCL is working to upgrade from its current 180 nanometer (nm) technology to the more advanced 28nm node.

The modernisation aims to put SCL on par with global standards and increase its capacity to 24,000 wafers per month from the current 700.

With the upgrade, SCL intends to diversify beyond the 180nm chips it currently supplies to strategic sectors like space, defence, railways and telecom.

"We want SCL to support startups and industry for R&D and prototyping, as well as increase its capacity and strength for chip exports," said Ashwini Vaishnaw, Minister for Communications and IT.

The ministry is scouting for semiconductor companies to partner with SCL and help with the technology transfer for 28nm manufacturing.

SCL's journey has been a roller-coaster since its inception in 1984. A mysterious fire just three years later stalled operations for a decade before it could resume manufacturing in 1995.

Despite the challenges, SCL has contributed to critical projects like Chandrayaan-3 and works with marquee customers including ISRO, Indian Railways and global firms.

With the government's ambitious semiconductor mission, SCL is poised to regain its pioneering semiconductor manufacturing capabilities and play a pivotal role in establishing an Atmanirbhar chip ecosystem in India.

(KNN Bureau)