Malviya said a 1989 fire crippled the SCL unit, sparking sabotage suspicions. Political neglect followed, affecting 850 employees and causing losses of Rs 60 crore
New Delhi
BJP leader Amit Malviya on Saturday accused the Congress of decades-long negligence in India’s semiconductor sector, recalling the failure of the Semiconductor Complex Ltd (SCL) in Mohali. His comments came after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Independence Day address, where the PM said early attempts at chip manufacturing were “killed at birth.”
Malviya said the SCL unit, launched in the early 1980s, collapsed after a mysterious 1989 fire. “The probe was inconclusive, but suspicion of sabotage lingered. India’s semiconductor dream went up in smoke. Worse followed — political neglect and stalled revival decisions,” he wrote on social media. He added that nearly half of the unit’s 850 employees were affected, and the loss was estimated at Rs 60 crore.
His remarks followed a sharp exchange with Congress MP Jairam Ramesh, who argued that India’s first semiconductor complex was indeed set up by Congress in Chandigarh and accused PM Modi of making false claims in his speech. Ramesh said promises of an indigenous chip have been made repeatedly without delivery.
Countering, Malviya said today India is reviving its chip ambitions under Modi’s leadership. “Semiconductors are among the hardest, most strategic industries to build. Progress has been made. Much more will follow,” he stated.
Malviya thanked the Prime Minister for prioritizing semiconductor production, framing it as a key step in securing India’s technology future.
The BJP-Congress war of words highlights how the country’s past failures in semiconductor manufacturing are being politicized as India prepares to roll out its first ‘Made-in-India’ chip later this year.
