What is the story about?
Semiconductors are no longer a luxury but a basic necessity as chips become integral to everyday products, RRP Group Chairman and CEO Rajendra Chodankar told CNBC-TV18, outlining the company’s expansion plans under India’s semiconductor mission as part of the broader Make in India push showcased at the World Economic Forum 2026 in Davos.
Speaking on the sidelines of Davos, Chodankar said the Indian government played a decisive role in RRP Group’s entry into the semiconductor space, particularly through policy support and financial incentives. “The government played a very pivotal role in encouraging us to set up this facility,” he said, adding that an attractive subsidy helped the company gain confidence to invest in expensive machinery and infrastructure. RRP Group commissioned its semiconductor facility in Maharashtra in September 2024 after around 14 months of work.
Chodankar said the company’s journey into semiconductors also received an unexpected boost with cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar coming on board as a strategic investor. Tendulkar was already associated with the RRP Group when discussions around semiconductors began. Recalling the interaction, Chodankar said Tendulkar immediately grasped the importance of the technology, noting that even household appliances now depend on chips. “As time goes by, it is no longer going to be a luxury but a necessity,” Chodankar said.
He described Tendulkar’s involvement as a source of motivation and credibility, particularly during challenging phases of the project. According to Chodankar, the former cricketer’s support has helped energise the team and reinforce the long-term vision of building domestic semiconductor capabilities.
Looking ahead, RRP Group is planning a significant expansion. The company has secured around 100 acres of land in Panvel, near Mumbai, for a proposed semiconductor fab with an investment of about ₹12,000 crore. The land allocation comes with a 50% subsidy, further strengthening the project’s financial viability. Chodankar said the plan includes setting up multiple outsourced semiconductor assembly and test (OSAT) lines, as well as a prototype fab focused on compound semiconductor chips.
The company is initially concentrating on legacy packaging for automobile applications, while also preparing to cater to other segments such as electronics, memory chips and SIM cards. In total, RRP Group expects to establish five to seven OSAT lines over time. Chodankar said the company is aiming to roll out its first prototype chip by the end of the next quarter.
The initial prototype will be used for thermal imaging applications, an area where RRP Group already has strong expertise. Chodankar said visiting teams from the semiconductor ecosystem have responded positively to the progress made so far. He stressed that the government’s objective goes beyond simply manufacturing chips. “What the Indian government actually needs is not only to build a chip, but also to take it into forward integration,” he said.
Also Read | Foxconn, HCL Group name semiconductor JV as India Chip Private Limited
As part of that approach, RRP Group plans to integrate its prototype chip into a complete thermal imaging camera system, which can then be offered to government agencies and customers for evaluation. Once the technology is validated, the company will move into pilot production, followed by full-scale manufacturing.
Chodankar said RRP Group expects to have a functional production line for thermal imaging chips by the end of 2027, marking a key milestone in India’s efforts to build a domestic semiconductor ecosystem under the Make in India and semiconductor mission framework.
Below is the verbatim transcript of the interview.
Q: You are part of the government’s semiconductor mission. Let’s start by talking about how you got started.
Chodankar: I think the government played a very pivotal role in encouraging us to set up this facility. The first thing they did was approve our project with a very attractive subsidy, which gave us the confidence to move into investment mode—getting into the machinery and the setup, because that is a very expensive proposition. Thanks to the government, they supported us right from day one. After 14 months of hard work, we got into the groove of setting up this facility, and I think it turned out very well because we were able to commission it in September 2024.
Q: While you commissioned the facility in September 2024, you’ve also got the legendary Sachin Tendulkar on board as an investor. How did that happen?
Chodankar: I think that’s the best thing that has happened to us in this semiconductor journey. Sachin Tendulkar was associated with us in the RRP Group, and it just happened that one day, while we were discussing things, I mentioned that we were venturing into semiconductors. On the foundation day, he was quite aware of this technology because he was the first one who actually said that even a washing machine has a chip. That means, as time goes by, it is no longer going to be a luxury but a necessity. On a very sincere note, he has been a blessing to us—a blessing to the state and a blessing to the nation. He keeps motivating us and never discourages us. Whenever we are in challenging times, he steps in and motivates us, and I think that aura takes us to a different level. Today, we are here thanks to him for all his support and encouragement, and also for being the strategic investor in this project.
Q: Let’s talk about the future plans as far as the fab is concerned. You have acquired about 100 acres of land, with an investment of about ₹12,000 crore proposed for the fab facility. Walk us through the details.
Chodankar: To do anything, you obviously need land, and the government was kind enough to offer us 100 acres at Panvel. This land also comes with a 50% subsidy allocation. What we have planned in the project we submitted is to build multiple OSAT lines and also set up a prototype fab for building compound semiconductor chips. When I say multiple OSAT lines, it’s because there are many disciplines within semiconductors. Right now, we are focusing on legacy packaging for automobile applications. But then there is electronics, memory chips, and SIM cards. So, all put together, we are planning at least five to seven lines. We are hopeful that we should have a prototype chip by the end of the next quarter, which will be deployed for thermal imaging applications. We are doing this because thermal imaging has been a core competency of the RRP Group.
Q: So as early as next quarter, you’re saying the prototype should be out?
Chodankar: Yes, by the end of next quarter, we will have our first prototype chip. This prototype will be deployed for thermal imaging applications. The best part is that when some of the semiconductor team visited us, they were quite happy with what we are doing. What the Indian government actually needs is not only to build a chip, but also to take it into forward integration. So once we have this prototype chip, we are going to deploy it into our thermal imaging system. When we do that, we will build a complete camera system and offer it to the government or customers for their analysis. These are our plans. Once we are successful, we will move into pilot mode and then into production mode. We expect that by the end of 2027, we will have a functional line producing chips for thermal imaging applications.
Speaking on the sidelines of Davos, Chodankar said the Indian government played a decisive role in RRP Group’s entry into the semiconductor space, particularly through policy support and financial incentives. “The government played a very pivotal role in encouraging us to set up this facility,” he said, adding that an attractive subsidy helped the company gain confidence to invest in expensive machinery and infrastructure. RRP Group commissioned its semiconductor facility in Maharashtra in September 2024 after around 14 months of work.
Chodankar said the company’s journey into semiconductors also received an unexpected boost with cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar coming on board as a strategic investor. Tendulkar was already associated with the RRP Group when discussions around semiconductors began. Recalling the interaction, Chodankar said Tendulkar immediately grasped the importance of the technology, noting that even household appliances now depend on chips. “As time goes by, it is no longer going to be a luxury but a necessity,” Chodankar said.
He described Tendulkar’s involvement as a source of motivation and credibility, particularly during challenging phases of the project. According to Chodankar, the former cricketer’s support has helped energise the team and reinforce the long-term vision of building domestic semiconductor capabilities.
Looking ahead, RRP Group is planning a significant expansion. The company has secured around 100 acres of land in Panvel, near Mumbai, for a proposed semiconductor fab with an investment of about ₹12,000 crore. The land allocation comes with a 50% subsidy, further strengthening the project’s financial viability. Chodankar said the plan includes setting up multiple outsourced semiconductor assembly and test (OSAT) lines, as well as a prototype fab focused on compound semiconductor chips.
The company is initially concentrating on legacy packaging for automobile applications, while also preparing to cater to other segments such as electronics, memory chips and SIM cards. In total, RRP Group expects to establish five to seven OSAT lines over time. Chodankar said the company is aiming to roll out its first prototype chip by the end of the next quarter.
The initial prototype will be used for thermal imaging applications, an area where RRP Group already has strong expertise. Chodankar said visiting teams from the semiconductor ecosystem have responded positively to the progress made so far. He stressed that the government’s objective goes beyond simply manufacturing chips. “What the Indian government actually needs is not only to build a chip, but also to take it into forward integration,” he said.
Also Read | Foxconn, HCL Group name semiconductor JV as India Chip Private Limited
As part of that approach, RRP Group plans to integrate its prototype chip into a complete thermal imaging camera system, which can then be offered to government agencies and customers for evaluation. Once the technology is validated, the company will move into pilot production, followed by full-scale manufacturing.
Chodankar said RRP Group expects to have a functional production line for thermal imaging chips by the end of 2027, marking a key milestone in India’s efforts to build a domestic semiconductor ecosystem under the Make in India and semiconductor mission framework.
Below is the verbatim transcript of the interview.
Q: You are part of the government’s semiconductor mission. Let’s start by talking about how you got started.
Chodankar: I think the government played a very pivotal role in encouraging us to set up this facility. The first thing they did was approve our project with a very attractive subsidy, which gave us the confidence to move into investment mode—getting into the machinery and the setup, because that is a very expensive proposition. Thanks to the government, they supported us right from day one. After 14 months of hard work, we got into the groove of setting up this facility, and I think it turned out very well because we were able to commission it in September 2024.
Q: While you commissioned the facility in September 2024, you’ve also got the legendary Sachin Tendulkar on board as an investor. How did that happen?
Chodankar: I think that’s the best thing that has happened to us in this semiconductor journey. Sachin Tendulkar was associated with us in the RRP Group, and it just happened that one day, while we were discussing things, I mentioned that we were venturing into semiconductors. On the foundation day, he was quite aware of this technology because he was the first one who actually said that even a washing machine has a chip. That means, as time goes by, it is no longer going to be a luxury but a necessity. On a very sincere note, he has been a blessing to us—a blessing to the state and a blessing to the nation. He keeps motivating us and never discourages us. Whenever we are in challenging times, he steps in and motivates us, and I think that aura takes us to a different level. Today, we are here thanks to him for all his support and encouragement, and also for being the strategic investor in this project.
Q: Let’s talk about the future plans as far as the fab is concerned. You have acquired about 100 acres of land, with an investment of about ₹12,000 crore proposed for the fab facility. Walk us through the details.
Chodankar: To do anything, you obviously need land, and the government was kind enough to offer us 100 acres at Panvel. This land also comes with a 50% subsidy allocation. What we have planned in the project we submitted is to build multiple OSAT lines and also set up a prototype fab for building compound semiconductor chips. When I say multiple OSAT lines, it’s because there are many disciplines within semiconductors. Right now, we are focusing on legacy packaging for automobile applications. But then there is electronics, memory chips, and SIM cards. So, all put together, we are planning at least five to seven lines. We are hopeful that we should have a prototype chip by the end of the next quarter, which will be deployed for thermal imaging applications. We are doing this because thermal imaging has been a core competency of the RRP Group.
Q: So as early as next quarter, you’re saying the prototype should be out?
Chodankar: Yes, by the end of next quarter, we will have our first prototype chip. This prototype will be deployed for thermal imaging applications. The best part is that when some of the semiconductor team visited us, they were quite happy with what we are doing. What the Indian government actually needs is not only to build a chip, but also to take it into forward integration. So once we have this prototype chip, we are going to deploy it into our thermal imaging system. When we do that, we will build a complete camera system and offer it to the government or customers for their analysis. These are our plans. Once we are successful, we will move into pilot mode and then into production mode. We expect that by the end of 2027, we will have a functional line producing chips for thermal imaging applications.
