Semiconductor Programme To Focus On Chip Design: Vaishnaw

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SUMMARY

The union IT minister said that the government wants 10 chipsets to be produced entirely in India, including design, fabrication and packaging

The Centre is also working on developing the ecosystem to produce the equipment required for manufacturing semiconductors as well as gases required in a chip fabrication plant

Vaishnaw also said that tech giant Nvidia has committed to support the recently-announced IndiaAI Mission

The next version of India’s semiconductor programme will focus on the chip design ecosystem with an aim to produce at least 10 chipsets in the country, union minister of electronics and information technology Ashwini Vaishnaw said.

These chipsets will be produced entirely in India, including design, fabrication and packaging, the minister told Monecycontrol in an interview.

“The second version of Semicon will basically focus on getting at least 10 chipsets which are full solutions and taking those solutions down the value chain of fab (fabrication) and ATMP (assembly, testing, and packaging process),” Vaishnaw said.

It is pertinent to mention that the Centre approved the Semicon India programme in 2021, with an outlay of INR 76,000 Cr, to develop the semiconductor and display manufacturing ecosystem in the country.

“We will also focus on the other key parts of the ecosystem which is the equipment which goes into manufacturing of semiconductors and the design of cleanrooms of a semiconductor facility. I met with three companies who are very big leaders in this and they are all willing to be a part of the India semiconductor mission,” the minister added.

Besides, the government is also focusing on making the 16,000 gases required in a chip fabrication plant in the country, he said.

As part of its push to promote the semiconductor ecosystem, the union cabinet recently approved three semiconductor proposals of private companies, entailing a total investment of INR 1.26 Lakh Cr. One of these proposals was of the Tata Group to set up the country’s first semiconductor fab plant in Gujarat in partnership with Taiwan’s Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp (PSMC).

Besides, the US-based semiconductor company Micron is already setting up an ATMP plant in Gujarat at a cost of over INR 22,000 Cr.

The government’s push for the semiconductor ecosystem has already resulted in a sharp increase in the number of such startups in the country.

Meanwhile, Vaishnaw also said that tech giant Nvidia has committed to support the recently-announced INR 10,372-Cr IndiaAI Mission.