In the ever-evolving landscape of technology, few leaders possess the vision and acumen to drive meaningful change on a global scale. At Micron Technology as Corporate Vice President, Assembly and Test NAND Operations,Amarjit Sandhu stands as a beacon of innovation, guiding Malaysia’s operations toward new frontiers in memory and storage solutions. With over three decades of experience in operations management across Singapore, China, and Malaysia, Amarjit’s journey is a testament to the power of perseverance and adaptability in the face of adversity.
Amarjit has pioneered 4 green field manufacturing startups in different geographies and led 3 successful turnarounds of matured organizations in China, Singapore, and Malaysia. Throughout his career, the key to growth was to be comfortable with discomfort. He has shifted gears from the aspects of function, company, geography, and type of roles and in all that, learned to rise above the discomfort.
A Journey of Growth and Adaptation
Amarjit’s ascent to his current role as Corporate Vice President of Assembly and Test NAND Operations at Micron Technology is a testament to his resilience and determination. Over the course of his career, he has pioneered multiple green field manufacturing startups and led three successful turnarounds of matured organizations, demonstrating a remarkable ability to navigate challenges and drive growth in diverse environments.
In his current position, Amarjit oversees operations in Malaysia, including sites in Muar, Johor, and Penang, as well as the backend manufacturing site in Singapore. These facilities play a crucial role in the assembly and testing of SSDs, NAND, PCDRAM, and memory modules, supporting the development of future technologies such as artificial intelligence, data centers, and autonomous vehicles.Micron is an industry leader in innovative memory and storage solutions transforming how the world uses information to enrich life for all.
Amarjit shares, “Micron has an extensive global manufacturing network. It is located in 17 countries with 11 manufacturing sites and 12 customer labs. Micron’s facilities in Malaysia play a critical role of assembly and test for Micron’s fabrication sites. Micron has facilities in Muar, Johor, and Penang. We established our facilities in Seberang Perai and Batu Kawan, Penang, for NAND & PCDRAM Component and SSD assembly and test. The Penang facilities serve as Micron’s SSD Assembly and Test Center of Excellence and strengthen and accelerate our ability to deliver world-class SSD technology.”
Forging Ahead with Purpose
At Micron Technology, the vision and mission are clear: to be an industry leader in innovative memory and storage solutions, enriching lives for all. With a relentless focus on customers, technology leadership, and operational excellence, Micron delivers a rich portfolio of high-performance DRAM, NAND, and NOR memory and storage products through its Micron® and Crucial® brands. Amarjit adds, “Micron invested $1 billion (~RM4bil) and an additional $1 billion (~RM4bil) over the next few years into its operations in Penang that spans 1.5 million square feet, with two facilities. Our vision is to transform how the world uses information to enrich lives for all. The innovations that our people create fuel the data economy, enabling advances in artificial intelligence and 5G applications that unleash opportunities — from the data center to the intelligent edge and across the client and mobile user experience.”
With an extensive global manufacturing network spanning 17 countries and 11 manufacturing sites, Micron is well-positioned to meet the growing demand for memory and storage solutions. In Malaysia alone, Micron employs over 4,500 employees, underscoring the company’s commitment to the region and its role in driving future success.
Empowering the Team for Success
Central to Micron’s success is its dedicated team of employees, guided by a set of core values that include people, innovation, tenacity, collaboration, and customer focus. Amarjit emphasizes the importance of having a common goal to build and manage motivated and effective teams, drawing from his experience in turning around a manufacturing site in China. Speaking of challenges, Amarjit says, “Settling in was a challenge – I had to address the challenges of managing a group of culturally different people whilst gaining their buy-in and respect and defining success among people who do not speak the same language as I do to name a few. The key was in exercising a level of prudent paranoia. Regardless of the environment, I had to focus on the success and how I could bring the team together in that direction. Essentially, being uncomfortable became part of my career journey. These moments were not easy but I was willing to learn, build the team, understand the end game and bring the people along. I embraced being in an uncomfortable zone, set my goals, aligned with the team and learned to collaborate.”
He highlights the need for prudent paranoia and a focus on success, regardless of the challenges faced. By embracing discomfort and fostering collaboration, Amarjit has been able to cultivate a culture of innovation and excellence at Micron, driving the company forward in an ever-changing industry.
A Vision for the Future
Looking ahead, Amarjit envisions continued growth and expansion for Micron as memory and storage solutions become increasingly integral to future technologies. With the semiconductor industry expected to reach $1 trillion by 2030, memory and storage are poised to comprise 30% of the market, driving advancements in AI, data centers, and edge computing.
To capitalize on these opportunities, Micron will continue to invest in technology, sustainable operations, its people, and the communities in which it operates. By leveraging technological advancements and fostering a culture of innovation, Micron is poised to shape the future of the tech industry and enrich lives for generations to come. Amarjit further explains, “Memory and storage solutions enable future technologies such as artificial intelligence, data centers, and autonomous and electric vehicles, to name a few. As data becomes more pervasive, leading-edge memory and storage solutions are required to enable the efficient processing and storage of massive amounts of data. As memory and storage fuel and enable future technologies, Micron Malaysia will continue to support the assembly and test network, capture growth areas and scale in accordance with the growth requirement. Micron will continue to deliver products of the highest quality, made possible through the adoption of smart manufacturing applications and artificial intelligence.”
Micron’s AI ambitions in Malaysia is in line with the New Industrial Master Plan 2030 (NIMP 2030), which seeks to increase Malaysia’s high-tech manufacturing and services exports and reduce carbon emissions intensity, and the Malaysia Artificial Intelligence Roadmap 2021-25 (AIRMAP) to foster a National AI Innovation Ecosystem (bringing together government, academia, industry and society) and to develop Malaysian AI talent through practical on-job training.Micron implements smart manufacturing applications to predict operational challenges and responding to them in real-time as they review thousands of process steps, deploy 0.5M sensors, access 0.25M process control points across their factories, equipment, and facilities, process 20 million images every week, combined into >30 petabytes of data.
Amarjit shares, “As a result of planning, investment, and an undivided focus on realizing our smart manufacturing goals, Micron has achieved significant productivity gains:
4% improvement in manufacturing tool availability
18% improvement in labor productivity
50% reduction in time-to-market for new products
22% decrease in product scrap
50% acceleration in resolving quality issues
The adoption of smart manufacturing in our operations enabled us to obtain a satisfactory Micron Quality Index that > 80% of Micron’s customers rank Micron #1 or #2 for products.”
Embracing Change and Driving Innovation
Amarjit starts, “We launched our second facility in Penang in October 2023, and are currently ramping up operations in this facility. The existing investments into our site here will enable us to improve our quality, increase scale and speed, and reduce cycle time to ensure we ship out our products to customers on time and in good quality. We will continue to bolster our assembly and test capabilities in Malaysia as these products are used from cloud to edge devices.”In a rapidly evolving industry, adaptability is key to staying ahead of the curve. For Amarjit, this means embracing change and driving innovation at every turn. From implementing smart manufacturing applications to predict operational challenges in real-time to leveraging AI to read mammograms and accelerate vaccine development, Micron is at the forefront of technological advancement.
With a focus on agility and adaptability, Micron is well-positioned to navigate the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead. By staying true to its core values and fostering a culture of collaboration and innovation, Micron will continue to lead the way in transforming how the world uses information to enrich lives for all.
Balancing Professional and Personal Life
Despite the demands of his professional commitments, Amarjit emphasizes the importance of balancing work and personal life. Tag-teaming with his wife in raising their family, he strives to be emotionally present for his children while fulfilling his responsibilities at work. Amarjit says, “Everyone has their level of commitment, and it differs from one team member to another. There are different challenges whether you are single, or with a family of your own. Even with a family of your own, it differs between a young family as opposed to having children who are grown up and graduated. In my case, my children are still studying, and it means that I have to ensure balancing professionally and play my role in my personal life”
Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs
For aspiring entrepreneurs venturing into the tech industry, Amarjit advocates for agility and adaptability in the face of constant change. With a proactive attitude and a willingness to embrace challenges, success in the dynamic tech landscape is within reach.
As Amarjit Sandhu continues to lead Micron Technology into the future, his unwavering dedication to innovation and excellence serves as an inspiration to all those who aspire to drive meaningful change in the world of technology. With a clear vision and a relentless pursuit of excellence, Micron is poised to shape the future of memory and storage solutions and enrich lives for generations to come.
