12th Sept 2024 Source by https://www.newindianexpress.com/
After the successful first phase of the India Semiconductor Mission, the government is set to launch the second phase of the scheme with a greater focus on bringing all component companies, raw material suppliers, and others on board.
Minister of Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw, addressing a press briefing at the Semicon India 2024 event, said Semicon 2.0, to be launched in three-four months, will aim to encompass the entire ecosystem. The minister also announced that Uttar Pradesh will soon have semiconductor units, following Gujarat and Assam.
“We are formulating the semicon 2.0, which will be a much-expanded form of the first phase. We will work towards getting the entire ecosystem,” Vaishnaw said.
India launched its semiconductor mission in December 2021, allocating Rs 76,000 crore for production linked incentives. To date, several semiconductor projects have been approved, including a chip fabrication unit in Dholera, Gujarat, and four chip packaging units: three in Sanand, Gujarat, and one in Morigaon, Assam.
The total investment in these projects amounts to Rs 1.50 lakh crore.
In the new phase of Semicon, the government will also focus on increasing the availability of raw materials. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, who was also present, said land and capital subsidies are being made available, amounting to about 25% of total costs. Additionally, 1,000 acres of land in the Yamuna authority have been reserved for this purpose.
Semicon India 2024, which witnessed the presence of nearly 250 exhibitors, including over 140 international exhibitors, saw significant announcements from industry leaders. Larsen & Toubro Ltd. announced an investment of over $300 million to create a chip company. NXP Semiconductors will invest over $1 billion in India, doubling its research and development efforts.
During the inaugural session, Renesas Electronics chief executive officer Hidetoshi Shibata announced a partnership with CG Power for an assembly and test semiconductor plant.
He stated that Renesas plans to double its workforce in India by next year. Tata Electronics chie executive and managing director Randhir Thakur emphasised the significance of the semiconductor industry in achieving “Viksit Bharat” by 2047, creating 50,000 jobs and having a multiplied effect on job creation in the ecosystem.
Ajit Manocha, SEMI President and chief executive said that India is on the path to becoming the next semiconductor powerhouse in Asia. “With AI fueling global semiconductor demand, around 150 new fabs will be required to meet the industry’s ambitious $1 trillion target by 2030,” said Manocha.
