DECEMBER 20258TSUGAMI OPENS MAJOR RS 300-CRORE PRECISION FACILITY IN CHENNAISTMICROELECTRONICS LAUNCHES NFC CHIP TO SPEED UP MATTER DEVICE SETUPTsugami deepened its commitment to India today with the launch of a new Rs 300-crore precision engineering assembly and foundry unit in Oragadam, near Chennai.The move marks the largest investment by a Japanese machine-tool maker in the country and signals a strong push to expand high-precision manufacturing capacity in one of India's fastest-growing industrial corridors.The new unit, built by Tsugami India, a joint venture between Tsugami Corporation of Japan and Proteck Machinery India, stands out for another milestone: it is the first foundry in STMicroelectronics today rolled out a new secure NFC chip designed to make setting up Matter smart-home devices faster and far more reliable.The ST25DA-C brings tap-to-connect onboarding to the latest Matter 1.5 standard, allowing users to add lighting systems, cameras, access controls, and other connected gear to their home network with a simple smartphone tap.The chip is the first commercial solution built for Matter's new NFC enhancements, giving the industry a clear path toward easier, more secure, and more unified device installation. By moving onboarding from Bluetooth or QR codes to NFC, India established by a Japanese machine-tool manufacturer, and only the company's third globally after Japan and China.The investment is expected to generate over 1,000 ecosystem jobs and strengthen the technology spine of the Oragadam­Sriperumbudur belt, already a major electronics hub.The 15-acre facility inside SIPCOT Industrial Park includes a 300,000-sq-ft plant with the capacity to assemble 3,000 machines a year and cast 6,000 tonnes of components. It will employ 700 professionals directly, with another 300 supporting operations. Japanese officials highlighted the strategic value of the partnership. "Today's inauguration is yet another excellent example of the long-standing relationship built on trust, innovation and mutual respect between Japan and India," said Kaoru Shiraishi of JETRO.Officials from Tamil Nadu noted Japan's continued role in advancing the state's manufacturing landscape. Company leaders said the plant will help India scale its precision-engineering ecosystem. According to Proteck's K Balasubramaniam, the project will create a "snowballing effect" for domestic component and product capability.The expansion strengthens Tsugami's move toward greater indigenous production--from raw metal to finished machines--while preserving its strict quality standards. The company, listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, closed FY 2025 with global revenues near $700 million. the ST25DA-C removes common pain points during setup--especially when devices are installed in tight or awkward locations.A standout feature is its battery-less pairing, powered through RF energy harvesting. This lets installers add even unpowered devices instantly, a major advantage for large-scale smart-home deployments and manufacturers building next-generation products. The push for smoother installation and stronger security aligns with rising consumer expectations across the connected-home market."Consumers want infrastructure that is efficient, secure, and simple to use. NFC-enabled Matter devices answer this need and will strongly influence adoption of smart-home products," said David Richetto, Group VP, Division General Manager, Connected Security at STMicroelectronics.Shobhit Srivastava, Senior Principal Analyst at Omdia, added that Matter has become an essential standard for cross-platform smart-home communication, highlighting the ST25DA-C as an example of next-generation silicon that will help manufacturers develop future-ready connected devices.Security is a core element of the chip. It uses Common Criteria­certified hardware and stores cryptographic credentials, certificates, and network keys through an embedded secure element. The device is also planned for SESIP Level 3 certification, giving manufacturers stronger trust guarantees. TOP STORIESTOP STORIESTOP STORIES
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