India's Semiconductor Surge: Why ERP Will Be Key to Sustained Growth

India’s Semiconductor Moment Is Here

In May 2025, the Indian government gave the green light to a joint venture between HCL and Foxconn to build a semiconductor fabrication facility in Jewar, Uttar Pradesh. Designed to produce 36 million display driver chips and process 20,000 wafers each month, the facility marks a defining moment in India’s manufacturing ambitions.

This isn’t some one-off project. It’s a part of a larger transformation under the Semicon India Programme, launched in 2021 with a massive outlay of ₹76,000 crore. Since then, the government has aggressively pushed for investment in semiconductor design, fabrication, and assembly by offering incentives, setting up dedicated industrial corridors, and clearing policy bottlenecks.

The momentum is already visible:

• • Major players like Micron, AMD, and Foxconn have announced investments and partnerships.

• • India is seeing the rise of chip design startups, component manufacturers, and test/packaging units.

• • The domestic market is forecast to touch $64 billion by 2026, up from $22.7 billion in 2019 -an almost 3x leap in just seven years.

India is not just trying to catch up, it’s aiming to play a key role in the global semiconductor supply chain. It is undergoing realignment due to geopolitical shifts and the need for diversified sourcing. But beyond policy and capital, this shift demands something deeper: the operational muscle to run at world-class standards.

Scale Brings Complexity- and the Need for Precision

Building fabs and attracting talent is just the beginning. As India’s semiconductor production moves from policy papers to factory floors, a new set of challenges emerges, ones that can’t be solved by engineering excellence alone.

• • Unforgiving precision: One defect can ruin an entire batch.

• • Tight coordination: From equipment suppliers to utility providers, every delay has a cost.

• • Strict reporting cycles: Government incentives come with regular audits and compliance mandates.

• • Speed-to-market pressure: Global supply chains aren’t waiting. Neither are the buyers.

Every chip, every process, every byte of information must be tracked, validated, and optimized. At such scale, this isn’t just an operational necessity, it’s basically survival.

Where Operations Meet Intelligence: The ERP Layer in Chipmaking

While fabs are being built with high-grade equipment and cleanroom tech, there’s another layer of infrastructure that’s equally important, but less visible: digital integration.

A modern semiconductor plant isn’t just a physical facility. It’s a web of interlinked processes such as procurement, inventory, production, quality control, compliance, and reporting. Each of these is dependent on data flowing smoothly between systems and teams.

This is where Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system becomes essential. It can act as the connective linkbetween departments, functions, and even plants.

How ERP quietly powers semiconductor success:

• • Procurement Coordination:
    ERPs track lead times, automate reorders, and ensure timely delivery of critical materials like chemicals and silicon wafers. No last-minute stockouts.

• • Batch Traceability:
    Every wafer lot is tagged and tracked across each production stage. If an issue arises in final testing, ERP helps pinpoint the exact source machine, operator, shift, or supplier.

• • Real-Time Visibility:
    Dashboards provide insights into production efficiency, scrap rates, equipment uptime, and cycle times – helping teams identify bottlenecks early and improve throughput.

• • Quality and Compliance Integration:
    ERPs integrate quality inspections and test results with production workflows. They also automate data gathering for incentive reporting.

• • Cost Monitoring and Forecasting:
    From material consumption to labor hours, ERPs track costs in real time. Finance teams get instant insights on where budgets are being used and where savings are possible.

• • Multi-plant Scalability:
    As fabs multiply, centralized ERP systems allow organizations to replicate best practices, standardize processes, and monitor performance across locations – all from a single platform.

The Bottom Line

India’s semiconductor story is just beginning. New fabs, rising demand, and strong policy support have set the stage. But the real success will come from how smartly we run what we build. That means knowing what’s happening on the ground and being able to act on it as quickly as possible.

A reliable ERP does much more than just managing operations. It helps you stay in control, stay compliant, and stay prepared for what’s ahead. For manufacturers entering this space, it’s not just about catching up. It’s about building for the future from day one.