With three semiconductor units coming up near Khurda, the Odisha government has started readying nearby hospitals to respond to potential industrial emergencies involving hazardous chemicals and gases used in chip manufacturing.
The move follows Prime Minister Narendra Modi's call for heightened industrial safety across India's emerging semiconductor ecosystem, and advisories from the Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY).
The ministry has warned states about the use of highly toxic materials in semiconductor fabrication and packaging, urging them to establish robust emergency-handling mechanisms.
According to official sources, three firms, RIR Power Electronics Ltd, SiCSem Pvt Ltd, and 3D Glass Solutions Inc, are setting up semiconductor fabrication, outsourced semiconductor assembly and testing (OSAT), and assembly, testing, marking and packaging (ATMP) facilities at Info Valley-II in Khurda.
While RIR Power Electronics Ltd's silicon carbide plant is expected to begin full-scale commercial production by March next year, the other two units are likely to become operational within the next two years.