Nagase and Nippon Express partner on a semiconductor supply chain for Dholera
The two Japanese firms have signed an MoU to build a supply chain for semiconductor front-end manufacturing materials in Dholera, backing the Tata-PSMC fab and the ancillary units growing around it.
Jan 19, 20262 min read
Photo: Construction under way in Dholera (via Logistics Manager)
Nagase & Co., Ltd. and Nippon Express Co., Ltd. (NX Group) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish a supply chain for semiconductor front-end manufacturing materials in Dholera, Gujarat. The partnership combines Nagase's expertise in specialty chemical distribution with NX Group's experience in precision semiconductor logistics.
The alliance supports the industrialisation of the Dholera Special Investment Region (SIR), which is anchored by the Tata-PSMC "Mega Fab", an $11 billion facility that recently entered its equipment installation phase.
What the MoU covers
Front-end processes involve hazardous and ultra-sensitive materials, and the partnership is built around handling them:
Dangerous goods management: specialised storage and transport protocols for the volatile chemicals and gases essential to wafer fabrication.
End-to-end visibility: NX Group's network of 103 offices and 60 warehouses in India, used to ensure just-in-time delivery for high-frequency production schedules.
Proximity logistics: stronger relationships with local ancillary units in Dholera, where more than 15 global supply chain partners, including Linde and Fujifilm, have recently set up.
Why both companies are investing in India
For Nagase, the move is part of its Medium-Term Management Plan ACE 2.0, which targets the "Global South" as a primary growth engine. The company opened its fifth Indian branch office, in Pune, in December 2025 to support the electronics and automotive clusters there.
NX Group has made semiconductors a priority under its Business Plan 2028. It is working with the Indian government to build specialised infrastructure in Gujarat and Assam, using high-performance vehicles and ultra-precision transport systems.
Hiroyuki Ueshima, CEO of Nagase & Co., and Shinjiro Takezoe, President of Nippon Express, said that combining commercial and commodity distribution is vital for de-risking the global semiconductor supply chain and establishing India as a leading tech cluster by 2030.
