MARCH 20268SUNIL BHARTI MITTAL HONOURED WITH GSMA LIFETIME AWARDMICRON LAUNCHES WORLD'S LARGEST SEMICONDUCTOR CLEAN ROOM IN GUJARATThe GSMA Lifetime Achievement Award is reserved for a select few whose work has left an indelible impression on telecommunications worldwide. To date, only a handful of Indian leaders have received this honor, highlighting Mittal's singular impact on both the domestic and global telecom landscape.Sunil Bharti Mittal, Founder and Chairman of Bharti Enterprises, was conferred the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award by the global telecom industry body GSMA at the ongoing Mobile World Congress in Barcelona on Monday, Bharti Airtel announced.The accolade, presented in the presence of Spain's King Felipe VI, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, Catalonia's President Salvador Illa, and global telecom leaders, recognizes exceptional contributions that have reshaped the global communications ecosystem.On receiving the award, Mittal remarked, "I am deeply honoured to receive this recognition and sincerely thank the GSMA for this award. I accept it not only as a personal milestone, but as a tribute to India's telecom journey, the Micron Technology marked a major milestone on February 28, 2026, by opening its state-of-the-art semiconductor facility in Sanand, Gujarat, featuring what the company calls one of the world's largest single-floor semiconductor clean rooms. This launch, attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other top officials, kicks off commercial production of memory chips in India, boosting the nation's push into global tech manufacturing.The facility, Micron's first assembly and test site in India, converts advanced DRAM and NAND wafers from the company's worldwide fabs into finished products for computers, smartphones and data centers.It spans over 500,000 square feet of cleanroom space, certified to ISO 9001:2015 standards, and runs on sustainable practices like LEED Gold certification and zero liquid discharge through water-saving tech. To celebrate, Micron shipped its initial made-in-India memory modules to Dell Technologies for laptops produced locally.Backed by a $2.75 billion investment split between Micron and Indian government incentives--50% from the national Semiconductor Mission and 20% from Gujarat, the plant is set to produce tens of millions of chips this year, ramping up to hundreds of millions in 2027. This output will help cut India's heavy reliance TOP STORIESon imported semiconductors, which make up about 95% of its supply, while creating jobs for around 1,300 workers now and potentially 20,000 more in the ecosystem.Prime Minister Modi hailed the event as a "historic milestone," noting the rapid timeline: a memorandum signed in June 2023, groundbreaking in September 2023, pilot setup in February 2024 and full operations by February 2026. "The start of commercial production in this ATMP Facility of Micron is going to strengthen India's role in the global technology value chain," he said in his address.Micron CEO Sanjay Mehrotra echoed the excitement: "Today is a proud moment for Micron and India's growing semiconduc-tor industry. This pioneering facility, the first assembly and test site of its kind in the country, helps build a resilient ecosystem that underpins the global AI economy. We are deeply grateful to the government of India, the Gujarat government and all of the partners involved for their steadfast support in making this achievement possible."Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw added: "The inauguration of Micron's semiconductor facility in Sanand marks a historic milestone as Bharat begins its first commercial semiconductor chip production. This is a decisive step towards building a trusted, resilient and self-reliant semiconductor ecosystem under the leadership of Hon'ble PM Shri Narendra Modi Ji. India is now moving from being a consumer of chips to becoming a global hub for semiconductor manufacturing and innovation." collective spirit of Bharti, and the rise of Indian telecom companies on the global stage. Equally, the award reflects the progress of an industry that has connected billions and belongs to the customers we serve, the teams who built our institutions, and the partners who believe in the transformative power of connectivity."He further added, "Telecommunication is a force that expands opportunity, places essential services in the palm of every individual and unlocks human potential. Helping shape its evolution into a powerful accelerator of modern progress has been a privileged responsibility. As innovation accelerates, we will continue to work with our partners & stakeholders to ensure that growth advances equity and creates lasting opportunity for generations to come."Mittal has propelled Bharti Airtel into a global telecom powerhouse, operating across India and Africa, serving over half a billion customers, and ranking among the top three mobile operators worldwide. The recognition strengthens Airtel's position as a pioneer in digital inclusion and innovation, underscoring India's growing influence on the global telecom stage.This accolade not only fortifies Mittal's legacy but also reflects the meteoric rise of Indian telecom companies, their contribution to global connectivity, and India's ambition to lead in the digital economy. TOP STORIES
< Page 7 | Page 9 >