Gujarat approves 12-hour shifts at Micron’s Sanand semiconductor facility, caps working week at 48 hours

Gandhinagar, Aug 19 (IANS) Gujarat has approved 12-hour work shifts at Micron Semiconductor Technology India Private Limited’s semiconductor facility in Sanand, allowing the plant to operate longer shifts while retaining the statutory 48-hour weekly working limit.

The approval, described by the state government as the “first of its kind” in Gujarat, has been granted under the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions (OSH) Code, 2020.

The arrangement is intended to accommodate the continuous operating requirements of semiconductor manufacturing, while making the longer shifts subject to safeguards for workers.

Labour, Skill Development and Employment Minister Kunvarji Bavaliya said the OSH Code is intended to promote ‘ease of doing business’ and compliance while retaining the maximum weekly working limit.

“The Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions (OSH) Code focusses on promoting Ease of Doing Business and Ease of Compliance. While the Code prescribes a maximum of 48 working hours per week, it also empowers the appropriate government to grant exemptions in the case of factories. Gujarat has exercised this provision keeping in view the larger public interest, economic growth and employment generation in the state,” Bavaliya said.

Under the approval, adult workers may work for up to 12 hours a day only if they voluntarily provide written consent. Their total working hours must not exceed 48 hours a week, with the remaining days treated as paid leave.

The government has also stipulated that the total spread of work, including rest intervals, must not exceed 12 hours in a day.

Rest breaks must comply with the OSH Code and the Gujarat Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Rules, 2025.

Companies operating under the arrangement will have to maintain separate records of employees working 12-hour shifts and comply with any additional conditions imposed by the Chief Inspector-cum-Facilitator for Factories.

Any violation of the prescribed conditions can result in cancellation of the approval and legal action against the establishment.

Minister of State for Labour, Skill Development and Employment, Kantilal Amrutiya, said the relaxation was aimed at supporting industrial expansion and employment while facilitating the operation of strategically important industries.

“The relaxation reflects the state’s commitment to accelerating industrial development, expanding economic activity and creating new employment opportunities while supporting industries of strategic national importance, particularly the semiconductor sector,” Amrutiya said.

The decision comes as Micron’s Sanand facility moves into commercial production.

Micron opened its first semiconductor assembly and test facility in India at Sanand in February this year and said it expected to assemble and test tens of millions of chips during 2026, with output projected to rise to hundreds of millions annually from 2027.

The first phase includes more than five lakh square feet of cleanroom space. The facility processes DRAM and NAND wafers into memory and storage products and forms part of Micron’s global assembly and test network.

The state government said semiconductor manufacturing requires continuous operations in highly controlled cleanroom environments, where automated equipment can operate around the clock.

The 12-hour shift model can reduce the number of shift changes and cleanroom entries and improve equipment utilisation, while employees remain within the 48-hour weekly limit.

Gujarat has positioned semiconductor manufacturing as a major component of its industrial strategy and was the first state to introduce a dedicated semiconductor policy, according to the government.

Six major projects in the state have been approved under the ‘India Semiconductor Mission’, involving investments of nearly Rs 1.4 lakh crore and expected to generate about 50,000 direct and indirect jobs.

The state’s approval therefore allows Micron’s Sanand operation to adopt a longer daily shift pattern without increasing the statutory maximum number of working hours in a week.

–IANS

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