Sanand/New Delhi, July 5 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday highlighted the role of young workers, particularly women from remote and tribal regions, in India’s growing semiconductor industry, a day after inaugurating the CG Semi Outsourced Semiconductor Assembly and Test (OSAT) facility at Sanand in Gujarat.

In a post on social media platform X, PM Modi described his interaction with employees at the newly inaugurated facility as “one of the most special moments” of the visit.

He said a large section of the workforce comprises women from remote parts of the country, many of them belonging to tribal communities, who have undergone specialised training to work in semiconductor manufacturing.

“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,” the Prime Minister wrote, adding, “Proud of our Yuva Shakti!”

During his interaction with workers at the Sanand facility on Saturday, he asked a young woman what had brought her the greatest joy during the year she had spent there.

The employee said that in her village, families generally did not allow daughters to leave home for higher studies, but her employment at the semiconductor plant had changed perceptions.

“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.

PM 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 replied that it was his first time in Gujarat.

Another employee from Giridih district in Jharkhand told the Prime Minister that she had completed Class 12 at Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya in Birni before pursuing an Industrial Training Institute (ITI) course, after which she secured placement at CG Semi. “The job had also given her an opportunity to travel abroad,” she said.

When PM Modi asked whether people often looked down upon ITI qualifications, the worker replied that people in her village had initially believed she would not achieve much.

“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,” she said.

The interactions took place after PM Modi inaugurated the CG Semi OSAT facility, which has begun commercial production.

The project, built with an investment of about Rs 7,500 crore, is India’s third semiconductor manufacturing facility to commence production under the ‘India Semiconductor Mission’.

The plant is expected to package and test semiconductor chips for sectors including automotive, industrial and consumer electronics, strengthening India’s domestic semiconductor ecosystem.

Addressing the gathering on Saturday, he said the confidence displayed by the young workforce had left a strong impression on him, noting that the employees he met were “full of self-confidence”.

“The country aims to build a complete semiconductor ecosystem spanning chip design, fabrication, packaging and testing as part of its broader push to expand advanced electronics manufacturing,” he had said.

–IANS

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