In a bid to put Gujarat on the fast track to becoming India’s semiconductor manufacturing hub, the state government on Wednesday granted permission to Micron Semiconductor Technology India Private Limited’s Sanand facility to operate 12-hour work shifts, a first such approval of its kind in Gujarat.

According to the government, the approval retains the statutory weekly working limit of 48 hours.

The approval comes as Gujarat seeks to consolidate its leadership in India’s fast-growing semiconductor sector. The government has identified semiconductors as a strategic pillar of India’s ambition to become a global technology and manufacturing powerhouse, with the India Semiconductor Mission aiming to build a complete domestic chip manufacturing ecosystem.

Micron Technology’s Sanand facility is expected to play a key role in the company’s global manufacturing network. The first phase of the project will include more than five lakh square feet of cleanroom space, including one of the world’s largest single-floor semiconductor assembly and test cleanrooms. The facility is expected to assemble and test tens of millions of semiconductor chips in 2026, with production capacity projected to scale to hundreds of millions of chips annually from 2027.

Semiconductor manufacturing differs from conventional factory operations because production processes run continuously in highly controlled cleanroom environments. Chip assembly and testing involve sophisticated automated equipment operating around the clock, making uninterrupted production critical for efficiency and product quality.

Twelve-hour shifts are a globally accepted operational model across semiconductor manufacturing facilities. The longer shifts reduce the number of shift changes, minimise cleanroom entries, improve equipment utilisation and enable continuous production in facilities involving multi-billion-dollar investments.

After being the first state in the country to introduce a dedicated semiconductor policy offering comprehensive incentives and support for the industry, Gujarat is now building an ecosystem around it and encouraging industries that supply materials to the semiconductor industry.

Till date, Gujarat has secured six major projects approved under the India Semiconductor Mission, attracting investments of nearly Rs. 1.4 lakh crore. The projects are expected to generate around 50,000 direct and indirect employment opportunities, reinforcing Gujarat’s position at the centre of India’s emerging semiconductor manufacturing ecosystem.

“The relaxation reflects the state’s commitment to accelerating industrial development, expanding economic activity and creating new employment opportunities while supporting industries of strategic national importance, particularly the semiconductor sector,” Kantilal Amrutiya, Minister of state for Labour, Skill Development and Employment, said.

The approval has been granted under the provisions of the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions (OSH) Code, 2020, which came into force across the country on November 21, 2025. The Code allows state governments to exempt factories from certain provisions, subject to safeguards, while ensuring that employees do not work beyond the prescribed weekly limit.

“Gujarat has exercised this provision keeping in view the larger public interest, economic growth and employment generation in the state,” Kunvarji Bavaliya, Minister of Labour, Skill Development and Employment Minister, said.