Gandhinagar: At a time when Gen Z entrepreneurs are largely gravitating towards AI, apps and digital businesses, an 18-year-old from Ahmedabad is taking a different route — precision manufacturing for the semiconductor industry. Rehan Mansuri has floated Micronex, a startup that plans to manufacture lead frames, a critical component used to mount semiconductor chips, at Sanand with an investment of Rs 80 crore.An official statement said the company aims to begin production by May 2027 and manufacture 50 crore lead-frame units annually in its first phase. The startup signed an MoU with Kaynes Semicon during Semicon India 2026 in New Delhi earlier this month, opening the possibility of supplying its products to semiconductor manufacturers. Micronex also plans to seek approval under the India Semiconductor Mission 2.0 programme, the statement added.Quoting Manusri, the statement said construction of the manufacturing facility has already begun and the project is expected to generate direct employment for around 250 people once operational.The govt statement said Micronex will initially target power electronics and automotive sectors, with plans to expand into consumer electronics and telecom as production capacity expands.Lead frames are thin metal structures that provide mechanical support to semiconductor chips and enable their electrical connection to external circuits. Extremely thin gold or copper wires connect the chip to the leads of the frame, which is subsequently connected to a circuit board.The company plans to manufacture copper-alloy lead frames with thickness ranging from 0.1mm to 0.25mm. Besides supporting the chip, lead frames aid heat dissipation and protect components during manufacturing.The statement added that local manufacturing would allow Micronex to work directly with manufacturers on tooling, sampling and design modifications while helping meet inventory requirements faster.
