Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday, 6 July 2025, spotlighted the contributions of young women from remote and tribal communities to India's emerging semiconductor sector, a day after inaugurating the CG Semi Outsourced Semiconductor Assembly and Test (OSAT) facility in Sanand, Gujarat. In a post on social media platform X, Modi called his interaction with the plant's workforce 'one of the most special moments' of the visit.

What Modi Said

Sharing his impressions from the facility, Prime Minister Modi wrote: 'They hail from remote parts of India, many of them are from tribal backgrounds. But their remarkable spirit ensured that they learnt about semiconductors. They went for training and here they are, adding strength to India's semiconductor journey.' He signed off the post with, 'Proud of our Yuva Shakti!'

Modi noted that a significant share of the CG Semi workforce comprises women from rural and tribal belts who underwent specialised training before joining semiconductor manufacturing — a sector that, until recently, India had virtually no domestic production capacity in.

Voices From the Shop Floor

During his walkthrough of the Sanand plant on Saturday, 5 July, Modi interacted directly with several employees. One young woman described how her employment at the facility had shifted attitudes in her village, where families traditionally discouraged daughters from leaving home for education.

'In my village, no family sends their daughter out for studies. But when I go back home now, everyone is amazed. They ask where I live and study. I tell them I work at CG-SEMIs, and it's a great opportunity. They are very happy that I am self-dependent. My friends ask me if they can also get admission here, and I tell them yes, come and work,' she told the Prime Minister.

Another employee, from Giridih district in Jharkhand, shared that she had completed Class 12 at Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya in Birni before pursuing an Industrial Training Institute (ITI) course, which led to her placement at CG Semi. She added that the job had also given her an opportunity to travel abroad. When Modi asked whether ITI qualifications were looked down upon, she replied: 'Earlier, people thought I was just a village girl who went away to study and wouldn't be able to achieve anything. When I was in Ranchi, they said I was just passing time. But now they realise I am actually doing something.'

Modi also spoke with Kaushal Kumar, an employee from Kathua district in Jammu and Kashmir, asking whether it was his first visit to Gujarat and remarking on the state's summer heat. Kumar confirmed it was his first time in the state.

About the CG Semi OSAT Facility

The CG Semi OSAT plant, built with an investment of approximately ₹7,500 crore, has commenced commercial production and is India's third semiconductor manufacturing facility to go live under the India Semiconductor Mission. The plant is designed to package and test semiconductor chips for the automotive, industrial, and consumer electronics sectors.

Addressing the gathering at the inauguration on Saturday, Modi said the confidence of the young workforce had left a strong impression on him, describing the employees as 'full of self-confidence.' He reiterated the government's ambition to build a complete semiconductor ecosystem — spanning chip design, fabrication, packaging, and testing — as part of India's broader advanced electronics manufacturing push.

Why This Matters

India's semiconductor ambitions have long been constrained by a near-total dependence on imports. The commissioning of a third OSAT facility marks a tangible step toward domestic capability, even as chip fabrication — the more capital-intensive and technologically demanding link in the chain — remains nascent. Notably, the workforce story carries its own significance: the inclusion of women from tribal and rural districts in high-skill manufacturing roles signals a potential shift in both industrial geography and gender participation in India's technology sector.

With global semiconductor supply chains under sustained pressure, India's push to develop indigenous capacity — backed by state incentives and mission-mode execution — is being watched closely by industry and policymakers alike. The next phase will test whether early production milestones can scale into globally competitive volumes.