Reliance explores chipmaking foray, in talks with potential partners: Report

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Billionaire Mukesh Ambani's Reliance Industries has begun exploring a foray into semiconductor manufacturing, a move that could address its supply chain needs and cater to growing chip demand in India, two people familiar with its strategy said. The telecoms-to-energy conglomerate, encouraged by the Indian government, has held early-stage talks with foreign chipmakers that have the potential to become technology partners, said one of the people who has direct knowledge of the plans. "There is intent, there is no timeline," said the person, adding that Reliance has "yet to make a call on whether they want to ultimately invest." The names of the foreign chipmakers could not be immediately learned.

The sources were not authorised to speak to media and declined to be identified. Reliance, whose interest in making semiconductors has not been previously reported, did not respond to repeated requests for comment. India's IT ministry and Prime Minister Narendra Modi's office also did not respond to requests for comment.

Modi has declared he wants his country to become a chipmaker for the world but those ambitions, first laid out in 2021, have suffered setbacks. The country does not as yet have any chip manufacturing plants, although India's Vedanta and Taiwan's Foxconn are both looking at building facilities. Reliance sees merit in getting into semiconductors as the move would help safeguard against chip shortages that could affect its telecom and electronic devices businesses, the sources said.

In 2021, for example, the conglomerate delayed the launch of a low-cost smartphone it was developing with Google citing the chip shortage. Demand for semiconductors in India and globally is also increasing, they noted. India's government