Applied Materials To Establish Centre Of Excellence In Chennai, Drive Semiconductor Growth

Applied Materials India Pvt. has signed a deal with the Tamil Nadu government to establish an advanced artificial intelligence-enabled technology development Centre of Excellence focused on semiconductor manufacturing and equipment at Chennai.

The centre aims to work with local universities and industry partners to strengthen the semiconductor ecosystem in Tamil Nadu and help develop a talent pool to support chip industry growth. As part of this effort, Applied Materials plans to grow its workforce in the state to more than 500 technical jobs over the next few years, it said.

The memorandum of understanding was signed in San Francisco in the presence of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin and Prabu Raja, president of the semiconductor products group at Applied Materials Inc.

“Investment in key sectors such as advanced electronics and semiconductors will help us achieve the $1 trillion economy goal by 2030. We want to make Tamil Nadu the most advanced knowledge and innovation hub in South Asia,” said Stalin.

The planned centre will strengthen Applied Materials’ existing collaborations with academic institutions in Tamil Nadu, which aim to advance research in AI, machine learning and data science for the semiconductor equipment sector.

“Tamil Nadu aims to grow the semiconductor ecosystem by fostering industry partnerships, cultivating a research-oriented culture, and developing a skilled workforce. I believe this collaboration with Applied Materials will help us create the right talent and play a strong role in Tamil Nadu's journey to becoming a leading hub for semiconductor manufacturing,” said TRB Rajaa, Tamil Nadu Minister for Industries.

“Applied Materials looks forward to growing our presence in Chennai and working with the government to bring AI capabilities and advanced analytics to the local semiconductor manufacturing and equipment ecosystem,” said Prabu Raja.