Tata Partners with Intel, HCLTech Teams Up with Dolphin for Semiconductor Manufacturing in India

Two leading Indian companies are making significant strides in strengthening the country’s semiconductor ecosystem through global collaborations aimed at chip manufacturing and development in India. On Monday, the Tata Group unveiled a major partnership with US-based semiconductor giant Intel, while IT services company HCLTech announced a collaboration with France-based Dolphin Semiconductor, signaling a new era of advanced semiconductor innovation in India.

Tata and Intel Forge Strategic Semiconductor Partnership

The Tata Group’s agreement with Intel focuses on manufacturing and assembling semiconductors in India, primarily to cater to the domestic market. This collaboration is aimed at scaling tailored AI PC solutions for India’s consumer and enterprise sectors, which are projected to rank among the top five global markets by 2030.

Scope of the Tata-Intel Collaboration

According to the Tata Group statement:
“Intel and Tata intend to explore manufacturing and packaging of Intel products for local markets at Tata Electronics' upcoming Fab and OSAT (Outsourced Semiconductor Assembly and Test) facilities, as well as a collaboration for advanced packaging in India.”

The initiative includes:

• A chip manufacturing plant in Dholera, Gujarat

• A semiconductor assembly and packaging plant in Assam

The total investment for this strategic expansion amounts to Rs 1.18 lakh crore.

Leveraging Combined Expertise

The partnership will utilize:

• Intel’s AI compute reference designs

• Tata Electronics’ leading Electronic Manufacturing Services (EMS) capabilities

• Tata Group companies’ extensive access to the Indian market

This collaboration is expected to accelerate India’s semiconductor self-reliance while meeting the growing demand for AI-enabled computing devices.

HCLTech Teams Up with Dolphin for Energy-Efficient Chips

On the same day, HCLTech announced a collaboration with Dolphin Semiconductor to co-develop energy-efficient chips. This initiative addresses the increasing demand for high-performance yet low-energy consumption solutions in enterprise computing and connected devices.

Focus of the HCLTech-Dolphin Collaboration

The partnership aims to integrate Dolphin’s specialised low-power IP into HCLTech’s silicon design workflows. Leveraging HCLTech’s expertise in system-on-chip (SoC) architecture, design, and development, the collaboration seeks to deliver scalable, energy-efficient SoCs capable of supporting diverse computational workloads while minimizing power consumption.

Industry Impact

Pierre-Marie Dell’Accio, Executive VP Engineering at Dolphin Semiconductor, stated:
“By partnering with HCLTech, we will be able to extend the reach of our low-power IP to more applications and customers than ever before. This partnership will help us push the boundaries of energy-efficient computing—whether it is for IoT devices or data center ecosystems.”

The HCLTech-Dolphin alliance is poised to enhance enterprise solutions, IoT devices, and data center performance, emphasizing sustainability alongside technological advancement.

India’s Semiconductor Ambitions

These collaborations reflect India’s growing focus on semiconductor self-reliance, supported by government initiatives and private investments. The partnerships aim to:

• Boost domestic chip manufacturing capabilities

• Strengthen AI and low-power computing infrastructure

• Enable advanced semiconductor packaging and assembly in strategic regions like Gujarat and Assam

Industry experts believe these initiatives will position India as a key player in the global semiconductor supply chain over the next decade.