New Delhi: In a significant boost to Tamil Nadu’s semiconductor ambitions, US-based semiconductor major KLA Corporation signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Friday to establish a major Research & Development and Innovation Campus in Chennai.
The MoU was signed between KLA India Limited, the Indian subsidiary of KLA Corporation, and Guidance Tamil Nadu, with an investment commitment of USD400 million.
The agreement was formalized at an event organized by the Department of Industries, Investment Promotion, and Commerce in the presence of the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, M. K. Stalin.
The planned 12-acre campus in Chennai is expected to generate up to 4,000 high-skilled jobs. Envisioned as KLA’s global R&D and innovation hub, the facility will have a potential built-up capacity of up to 1.5 million square feet over time.
The campus will support advanced research in high-performance computing, process control engineering software, and AI-driven semiconductor innovation. Once fully developed, it is set to become KLA’s largest integrated R&D presence outside its global headquarters, Tamil Nadu Industries Minister Dr. T R B Rajaa said.
In a post on X, he said: “From electronics manufacturing to semiconductor R&D, we are moving up the value chain !”
The investment is seen as a strong endorsement of Tamil Nadu’s governance stability, policy clarity, and deep engineering talent pool. Under the leadership of Stalin, the State is positioning itself to build a long-term semiconductor ecosystem anchored in talent, research, and advanced engineering.
