 "Ajit Manocha, president and CEO, Semi—the global semiconductor and electronics body")
Ajit Manocha, president and CEO, Semi—the global semiconductor and electronics body
The Indian semiconductor industry should aim at having at least 10 fabs in the upcoming decade to become a global powerhouse in the space, said Ajit Manocha, president and CEO, Semi—the global semiconductor and electronics body.
Speaking at a virtual curtain-raiser press conference of Semicon India on Wednesday, Manocha said, “After some calculations, I can say that we would probably need another 10 fabs or so in the next 10 years, if we want to make India a powerhouse for this industry. There’s no ceiling on this number, and the limit is sky high,” he said.
Other than fabs, Manocha also said that the rise in the number of Outsourced Assembly and Test (OSAT) and Assembly, Testing, Marking, and Packaging (ATMP) units in India was a welcome move for the overall ecosystem.
Further, he also stressed that the success of Tatas, Micron, and other projects announced in India’s semiconductor space was key to generating genuine interest from the global chip industry.
“We must ensure the success of Tata, Micron, and the other recent announcements. When I say ‘we,’ I mean everyone in the country. Success breeds success, and by making these initiatives thrive, we will attract more big companies. We need to leave no stone unturned in achieving this.”
Semicon India, 2024—to be organised by Semi and Messe Muenchen India in partnership with the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY), India Semiconductor Mission, and Digital India, from 11th to 13th of this month, in Delhi-NCR—will be hosting global semiconductor industry experts and leading industry players.
Apart from the government’s representatives, the event is expected to see participation from key global players in the space, including Applied Materials, Cadence, CG Power, KLA, Lam Research, Micron, NXP, Renesas, TATA Electronics, and Tokyo Electron, among others.
According to industry estimates, the Indian semiconductor market is projected to exceed $100 billion and generate over 6 lakh jobs by 2030.
The global market for semiconductors, at the same time, is projected to reach $1 trillion by 2030, according to a report by McKinsey & Company.
For promoting the overall ecosystem, including the ancillary units, Manocha said that a dedicated incentive scheme for the industry would help.
He further said that the availability of raw talent in India can help fulfil both India and global semiconductor ambitions.
“There’s a shortage of talent everywhere, and India brings a lot of raw talent. Companies can engage with raw talent and train them for India and for other countries as well, which will create a lot of opportunities for these firms to come to India,” Manocha added.
First Published: Sep 04 2024 | 7:42 PM IST