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In today’s newsletter: 

• Made-in-India chips a reality soon
• Reliance-Disney set to dominate India's media landscape
• Decoding tech hub Bengaluru’s water woes

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There aren't many days when a country takes a 'giant leap'. 

That's how India's technology minister Ashwini Vaishnaw described today’s announcement of a semiconductor fab and two chip packaging plants.

The Union Cabinet today approved three semiconductor projects worth Rs 1.26 lakh crore which are expected to create over 1 lakh jobs.

• After a long wait, India is set to get a chip fabrication plant from the house of Tatas for a planned investment of Rs 91,000 crore 

• Taiwanese company PSMC will be the technology partner for the fab that will have the capacity to produce 50,000 chip wafers per day

Fabrication is one of the most technically challenging parts of the chip supply chain and countries around the world are giving fab companies billions of dollars in subsidies to attract them.

The fab will be located in Gujarat's Dholera. Another chip packaging plant, approved today at a cost of Rs 7,600 crore, will be situated in Sanand.

• With the announcement of the Rs 22,000 crore Micron chip plant in Sanand last year, Gujarat's tally now reaches three projects within the last 12 months

In a surprising turn of events, Assam has managed to attract Tata for the third chip packaging plant amidst the competition among industrialised southern states.

• The plant, announced today, will be set up with an investment of Rs 27,000 crore and produce 48 million chips daily

It is also expected to create 27,000 jobs in the region, and the majority of the chips produced at this facility will be exported.

Find out more

(Picture credit: Kalaido.ai)

It's advantage Reliance as the House of Mouse retreats from one of the world's fastest-growing entertainment markets.

The Reliance-Disney joint venture, which combines the businesses of Viacom18 and Star India, is set to dominate India's burgeoning media landscape. 

The merged entity will have 120 TV channels - Star India's 70+ TV channels and Viacom18's 38 TV channels - along with media rights to top cricket properties such as the Indian Premier League (IPL) and ICC cricket tournaments under one roof.

This means that soon, you won't have to frantically search through different streaming apps and television channels to find your favorite cricket match (Almost!)

• The JV is projected to capture a 40% market share in TV advertisements and 44% in subscriptions, according to analysts

• In the lucrative sports market, the JV will control around 75-80% market share across both linear TV and digital platforms

• A potential rival merger between Sony's India unit and Zee Entertainment fell through last month after over two years of deliberations

Once the deal closes, two of India's biggest streaming services - Disney+ Hotstar and JioCinema - will have a single owner. 

• Disney+ Hotstar is currently the leader in the country’s subscription-based video streaming market with 38.3 million subscribers, while JioCinema is a prominent player in the ad-supported video streaming market

This JV will likely give Reliance an upper hand in India’s fiercely competitive video streaming market, that includes global and domestic players such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, ZEE5, and Sony LIV.

• The combined entity will capture about 85% of India's video-streaming audience, according to analysts at brokerage firm Bernstein

A merger of the digital streaming and television assets of both companies in India is on the cards, with plans to offer local and global entertainment content and sports live-streaming services at affordable prices to consumers in India and the Indian diaspora.

Go deeper

More from our Reliance-Disney merger coverage 

• What RIL’s Rs 70K cr JV with Disney entails — 10 points

• RIL-Viacom18-Disney JV to add Rs 40 per share to Reliance's value, says Jefferies

• Star India’s valuation drops from $15 bn in 2018 to $3.2 bn now

Disclaimer: Moneycontrol is a part of the Network18 group. Network18 is controlled by Independent Media Trust, of which Reliance Industries is the sole beneficiary.

Bengaluru, India's Silicon Valley, is facing its worst water crisis in recent memory, and it's not even peak summer yet.

While core areas have access to Cauvery water, outer areas and newly added villages rely heavily on borewells and private tankers, many of which have run dry or become unaffordable.

• Some areas have resorted to water rationing, and even Bengaluru Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) supply has become infrequent and unpredictable

While the city grapples with a severe water shortage, some areas experience regular flooding during the monsoon season.

Experts point to several factors contributing to the crisis, including:

• Below-average rainfall has reduced water availability in the Cauvery basin

• Lakes and wetlands have been encroached upon
  
  
• Untreated wastewater pollutes water bodies and groundwater, further reducing usable water sources

• Bengaluru's rapid development has outpaced its water infrastructure, leading to a growing demand-supply gap

The government is implementing various projects to improve water supply, including the Cauvery V Stage project and the Yettinahole integrated drinking water project.

• Authorities are focusing on rainwater harvesting, sewage treatment, and lake rejuvenation to ensure sustainable water management

Dig deeper

Zerodha co-founder Nithin Kamath's recent health scare has served as a stark reminder of the toll entrepreneurship can take.

• From Upgrad’s Mayank Kumar to Easemytrip’s Prashant Pitti, many recount experiences of physical ailments and mental strain during critical business junctures

To cope with stress, founders advocate setting realistic goals, prioritising well-being through wellness programs, and exercising financial prudence.

Find out more

• The US SEC is investigating if OpenAI misled investors by scrutinizing internal communications related to CEO Sam Altman's removal in November.
  
  
• Alibaba's cloud business slashed prices on core products by up to 55% to make cloud computing more accessible and fuel AI growth in China.

From Google's ad empire to launching a Google rival and now at the helm of a data cloud giant, Sridhar Ramaswamy's journey is taking a fascinating turn.

• This Indian-born tech leader, known for his work in AI and user experience, has just been named the CEO of Snowflake.

This move not only marks a new chapter for Ramaswamy but also adds him to the growing list of Indian-born CEOs leading the global tech scene.

Find out more about his journey

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