Semiconductor equipment maker ASML has officially started operations in India and plans to hire 20-30 young engineering graduates initially to meet its requirements, according to PTI reports. Speaking on the sidelines of SEMICON India 2026, ASML Executive Vice President and Head of Customer Support Lin Kiat Yap confirmed the company's immediate scaling plans. Yap stated that the scaling-up strategy depends on the success of Tata Electronics chip unit in India and India's broader ambitions in the semiconductor space. Asked about when his company is going to start India operations and scale it up, Yap said, "Right now" and added, "We are probably going to start off at 20-30 people. We will see how fast it scales. It really depends on the ambitions of India, and it really depends on the ambitions of Tata."
ASML's expansion in India is closely connected with the development of Tata Electronics' upcoming 300 mm semiconductor fabrication facility in Dholera, Gujarat. ASML and Tata Electronics signed a strategic partnership in May 2026 under which ASML will support the establishment and ramp-up of the Dholera fab with advanced lithography tools and solutions. The partnership also covers local talent development, supply-chain resilience and research initiatives. During the event, ASML Chief Strategic Sourcing and Procurement Officer Allan Wayne emphasized that many ASML customers are scaling up facilities in their own countries, making India an attractive market for expansion. Wayne said, "I think it's good that Tata is taking the very first steps in seeding the ecosystem. I think it's also very important to continue to grow the ecosystem, to bring in a second player, to bring in a third player. We want to make Tata successful because I think when people see Tata being a success, I think people will start to spend a little bit more time, be a little bit more focused in India and see the potential opportunities."
ASML provides advanced lithography technology that enables making circuits on silicon wafers, paving the foundation for converting silicon wafers into active components. The company holds a monopoly in advanced lithography technology, with no advanced chip in the world being made without its equipment. During the event, ASML Chief Strategic Sourcing and Procurement Officer Allan Wayne emphasized that many ASML customers are scaling up facilities in their own countries, making India an attractive market for expansion. Wayne said a lot of ASML customers are scaling up facilities in their own country, "I think it's good that Tata is taking the very first steps in seeding the ecosystem. I think it's also very important to continue to grow the ecosystem, to bring in a second player, to bring in a third player. We want to make Tata successful because I think when people see Tata being a success, I think people will start to spend a little bit more time, be a little bit more focused in India and see the potential opportunities."
The government has announced the Semicon 2.0 scheme with an incentive of around ₹1.27 lakh crore or USD 13.5 billion to build the semiconductor ecosystem. According to Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, investment proposals worth USD 12 billion are likely to come under the new scheme for chip production. Wayne projected that India's ambition to meet 35-50% of India's semiconductor demand by 2035 locally implies the country will need about a dozen chip manufacturing plants with huge capacity. Wayne said, "India's projection and India's ambition is to have between 15 per cent and 25 per cent of the wafer fab of India's local semiconductor demand by 2032. That means you're going to have to have several fabs by 2032."
Wayne emphasized that talent and innovation will be critical for the growth of chip manufacturing in India, noting his confidence in India's innovation capabilities. He stated that the first 300-mm fab in Tata needs to test and qualify, have good quality and yield, and hit on schedule to avoid delays. Wayne indicated that while there are no current plans for manufacturing, there may be opportunities in the future. "Then at some point, we may very well be looking at manufacturing. I see there's a question mark there because there's no plans for that as it stands at present," Wayne said. Tata Electronics estimates to have around 450 vendors to support at the Dholera plant, with the company building 363 vendor parks to house them. Wayne said, "Time to market and our ability to deliver on time, I think that's something that people are looking for. And you're going to start to see, I think, many more of our customers coming to India. That means we need to be able to, of course, have the talent to be able to support all of that. We are very happy to be here now."
