Rohm, the Kyoto-based power semiconductor maker, said Monday it would partner with Tata Electronics to manufacture automotive chips in India, adding another Japanese electronics name to the Tata conglomerate’s growing roster of chip-industry collaborators.
Under the arrangement, Tata Electronics will assemble and test Rohm’s India-designed automotive-grade 100V, 300A silicon MOSFET in a TOLL package, with mass production shipments targeted for next year. Rohm will retain control of device design and wafer-level processing, delegating only back-end work to its Indian partner.
The tie-up underscores the limits of India’s semiconductor ambitions. While Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government has approved billions in subsidies to attract chipmakers, most announced projects remain focused on assembly rather than the more capital-intensive fabrication that defines industry leaders in Taiwan, South Korea and the U.S.
Tata Electronics is building India’s first commercial fab in Gujarat with a total investment of $11 billion, alongside a $3 billion assembly-and-test facility in Assam. The Gujarat plant, developed with Taiwan’s Powerchip, won’t begin production until at least late 2026.
For Rohm, which reported revenue of ¥467.78 billion ($3.1 billion) in fiscal 2024, the deal offers a low-risk path to localize production for India’s expanding automotive market without committing significant capital.
