Quite a few challenges before Indian semicon industry!

Anyone, who has the slightest interest in the Indian semicon industry, will agree with my statement. As of now, there are multiple challenges facing the Indian semicon industry. That's where the India Semiconductor Association's (ISA) Vision Summit comes into play! It assumes much larger importance!

Right now, there are no fabs or foundries in India. There aren't even too many fabless companies. Okay, let's face it! There aren't even that many locally bred LCD or OLED or PDP players. Are there?

Let's refresh your memory once again! Back in September 2007, the Department of Information Technology, Ministry of Communication and IT, Government of India, came up with the Special Incentive Package Scheme (SIPS) to encourage investments for setting up semicon fabs, and other micro and nanotechnology manufacturing industries in India!

The “ecosystem units” were defined as units, other than a fab unit, for manufacture of semiconductors, displays including LCDs, OLEDs, PDPs, any other emerging displays; storage devices; solar cells; photovoltaics; other advanced micro and nanotechnology products; and assembly and test of all the above products.

What has since happened? There has been a spiralling growth of solar PV firms -- that too, largely owing to the Indian government's Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JN-NSM)! Now, that's not semiconductors!! I know there will be some disagreements with several folks, and so be it!!!

Recently, the ISA organized a one-day workshop on the Karnataka Semicon Policy. There was a presentation, which proposed the following features for 2010-11:
* Semiconductor focused school and research lab in IIITB: Rs 650.00 lakhs.
* Augmenting orchid tech space in STPI to characterization lab: Rs 200.00 lakhs.
* Implementation of agreement with MATIMOP, Israel (Fund for Semiconductor Excellence): Rs 100.00 lakhs.
* Various subsidies/incentives/concessions under industrial policy 2009-19: Rs 50.00 lakhs.

Perhaps, Israel will help out India for the time being. However, the Indian industry needs to closely look at itself and start to stand up and be counted!