Tribal women trained in Malaysia join India's semiconductor push

Women trained at ITIs and in Malaysia join CG Semi’s Sanand facility as Prime Minister Narendra Modi highlights their role in India’s semiconductor manufacturing push

Updated - July 29, 2026 09:56 am IST | Ahmedabad

By Abhinay Deshpande

For Poonam Kumari, Priyanka Dhanwar, and Shivani Uikey, working at a semiconductor manufacturing plant in Gujarat once seemed far removed from life in their tribal hometowns. After studying at Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) and undergoing specialised training in Malaysia, they are now among the machine operators at CG Semi’s Outsourced Semiconductor Assembly and Test (OSAT) facility in Sanand, where commercial production of semiconductor chips was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday.

A Journey of Firsts

The three women describe a journey marked by several milestones:

• Poonam Kumari, from Jharkhand’s Giridih district, had never travelled outside her state before being selected for overseas training.
• Priyanka Dhanwar, from West Singhbhum, became the first person in her family to travel abroad as part of her training to master semiconductor production techniques.
• Shivani Uikey, from Madhya Pradesh’s Balaghat district, recalled her parents breaking into tears when they saw what she had achieved.

Training in Malaysia was initially unfamiliar, they said, but instructors helped them understand the manufacturing process through Hindi explanations and practical demonstrations, enabling them to master semiconductor production techniques.

Prime Minister’s Remarks

Addressing the inauguration, Mr. Modi referred to the young women from the tribal belts of Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, and Madhya Pradesh who had guided him through the plant.

“They explained every stage of semiconductor manufacturing with confidence, enthusiasm and technical knowledge. These daughters come from ordinary families, studied in ordinary schools and received their education at ITIs, but today they are carrying out work in one of the world’s most advanced technology sectors.”

The Prime Minister said perceptions about vocational education had changed and noted that many of the women were the first in their families to obtain passports and travel overseas.

“Many of them had never even visited Delhi or Mumbai. Today, they have travelled to Malaysia for advanced training, learnt semiconductor technology and are contributing to the manufacture of ‘Made in India’ semiconductor chips.”

Personal Stories

Ms. Kumari, who lost her father a few years ago, said the support provided during the overseas training helped her and her colleagues adapt quickly.

“Whenever we found it difficult to understand anything, the trainers explained it to us in Hindi and also through practical demonstrations, which made the learning process much easier.”

For Ms. Dhanwar, becoming the first member of her family to travel abroad marked a turning point, while Ms. Uikey said seeing their daughters succeed filled their parents with pride.

“When our parents saw our success, tears of joy filled their eyes. We are going to create history.”

Context

The CG Semi facility in Sanand is part of the Centre’s semiconductor manufacturing programme aimed at expanding domestic chip production.

Published - July 05, 2026 07:01 pm IST