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India’s semiconductor ambitions got a concrete nudge forward on May 7, 2025, when Tata Electronics Private Limited and Fujifilm Corporation signed a memorandum of understanding focused on semiconductor materials production and supply chain development within the country.
Tata is building what would be India’s first 300-mm front-end semiconductor fabrication plant in Dholera, Gujarat, as part of a project valued at roughly $11 billion. A back-end facility is also under construction in Jagiroad, Assam. Both plants need a steady supply of specialized process materials, and right now, virtually all of that supply would have to come from abroad.
What Fujifilm brings to the table
Fujifilm’s materials division produces photoresists and CMP slurries, which are among the most critical consumables in chip manufacturing. Photoresists are the light-sensitive coatings used to etch circuit patterns onto silicon wafers. CMP slurries, short for chemical mechanical planarization slurries, are the abrasive fluids used to smooth wafer surfaces between fabrication steps.
Under the MOU, Fujifilm will supply these and other process materials to support Tata’s front-end and back-end operations. Fujifilm has pledged roughly 800 crore rupees, approximately $83 million, to build a greenfield semiconductor materials manufacturing facility in India. Phase one of construction is set to begin in October 2026, with commercial production targeting fiscal year 2028.
India’s broader semiconductor push
This deal fits inside the Indian government’s India Semiconductor Mission, now in its second iteration, which is designed to incentivize local chip manufacturing and reduce import dependence across the electronics sector.
Tata Electronics’ CEO, Randhir Thakur, at the SEMICON India 2026 event on September 17, 2026, announced plans to sign 16 new MOUs to deepen the company’s local supply chain.
Fujifilm’s existing global portfolio covers materials for both front-end processes, where raw silicon wafers are transformed into functional chips, and back-end processes, where those chips are packaged and tested. That breadth makes it a useful partner for Tata, which is running operations on both ends of the manufacturing chain.
What to watch as these plants come online
The 2028 production target for Fujifilm’s Indian facility is the clearest milestone to track. If that date slips, it creates a window where Tata’s fabs are operational but sourcing materials internationally, eroding some of the supply chain resilience the partnership is meant to create.
On the demand side, the sectors expected to consume output from Tata’s fabs include automotive, industrial electronics, and telecommunications.
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