Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday said that scientists of US' NASA and ISRO would collaborate to establish an International Space Station in 2024.

During a discussion on critical mineral partnerships here, she revealed the NASA-ISRO plan to set up the international space station. 

"NASA will provide advanced training to the ISRO, facilitating a joint effort towards the International Space Station in 2024," she said. 

Sitharaman also emphasised the creation of new jobs through semiconductor technology. 

"I would like to highlight the semiconductor supply chain. For instance, Micron Technology is expected to invest $800 million towards a $2.75 billion semiconductor assembly and test facility in Gujarat. This investment alone will create more than 5,000 new direct jobs and 15,000 indirect jobs at the community level," she stated. 

She also announced that India would become a part of alliances related to rare earths and materials, expecting to support over $2 billion in planned investments. 

The Semiconductor Centre for Commercialisation and Innovation, which is being established in Bengaluru, will play a significant role.

"In its first five years of operation, the centre is expected to support more than $2 billion in planned investments, create 500 new advanced engineering jobs, and potentially add another 2,500 jobs to the manufacturing ecosystem," she said. 

Sitharaman highlighted the importance of this progress and the semi-verse solutions programme, which aims to train up to 60,000 Indian youth in artificial intelligence and semiconductor-related education. 

She stated that this initiative would help achieve workforce development goals. "I have mentioned the critical mineral partnership. Several companies are planning to establish these capacities in India because lithium, cobalt, and other rare earths will play a crucial role in the future of energy and energy transition," she added. 

Sitharaman also mentioned that India and the US have launched a public-private joint task force for the development and deployment of open RAM systems in the field of advanced telecommunications.  (IANS/NS)