KLA Corporation, a US-based global leader in semiconductor process control and process-enabling technology, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Government of Tamil Nadu to establish a research and development (R&D) and innovation campus in Chennai. The agreement, signed through KLA's subsidiary KLA India with the state-supported investment promotion agency Guidance, involves an investment of up to $400 million (approximately ₹3,600 crore, with one reference stating ₹3,510 crore) over the next 10 years.
The facility will be developed on a 12-acre site in Chennai and is planned to have a potential capacity of up to 1.5 million square feet. It will serve as a global R&D and innovation hub focused on advancements in AI, semiconductor process control, high-performance computing (HPC), software engineering, computing technology, and AI-led chip research. The campus is intended to be one of KLA's largest innovation hubs and its largest R&D site outside its global headquarters, building on the company's existing operations in Chennai.
The project is expected to create up to 4,000 high-skilled jobs over 10 years.
The MoU signing took place in the presence of Chief Minister M K Stalin, Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin, Minister for Industries TRB Rajaa, Chief Secretary N Muruganandam, Industry Secretary V Arunroy (also referred to as Arun Roy), Secretary to the department V Arunroy, and Bobby Bell, EVP and Head of Government Relations at KLA.
