NEW DELHI: India gave the go-ahead to construction of three semiconductor plants worth 1.26 trillion rupees ($15.2 billion) by firms including Tata Group and CG Power on Thursday, as the country pursues its goal of becoming an electronics powerhouse.

India, which is seeking to rival countries such as Taiwan in chipmaking, expects its semiconductor market to be worth $63 billion by 2026, but does not yet have a chipmaking facility.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi wants to make India a chipmaker for the world as his government tries to overcome setbacks faced in its bid to offer $10 billion in incentives to the industry.

Indian Electronics Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said construction will begin on the plants within the next 100 days, adding that they will manufacture and package chips for sectors including defence, automobiles and telecommunication.

“This is a big decision for the country and a key accomplishment towards making India a self-dependent country,” Vaishnaw told reporters.

He did not give updates on other key chipmaking applicants, including Indian conglomerate Vedanta, Taiwan’s Foxconn and Israel’s Tower Semiconductor.