Nagase & Co. and Nippon Express Holdings have partnered to offer logistics services for chipmakers eyeing India’s nascent semiconductor industry, Nikkei reported.
The two Japanese companies signed a memorandum of understanding to target manufacturers planning operations in the Dholera Special Investment Region in Gujarat, which the Indian government is developing as the country’s first semiconductor hub. Tata Electronics is building a ¥1.45 trillion ($9.1 billion) fabrication plant there in partnership with Taiwan’s Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation, with production slated for 2027.
Under the arrangement, Nagase will serve as a procurement and import agent for semiconductor materials and chemicals, handling India’s complex regulatory registration requirements. The chemical trading house said it has secured collaboration agreements with more than 20 materials and equipment suppliers. Nippon Express will provide transportation, warehousing and last-mile delivery.
The partnership extends Nippon Express’s aggressive India expansion. The logistics giant aims to triple its India revenue to ¥60 billion ($378 million) by 2028, capitalizing on what executives have described as a sensitive and high-value market for semiconductor supply chains.
Whether the venture gains traction will depend on the pace of actual manufacturing buildout in Dholera, where infrastructure development has at times lagged behind official timelines.
