The semiconductor industry, in contrast to the software products and services sector, has not yet been a clear indicator of the nation’s core strength. The Indian government has been striving to change this, though, for a few years now.
To promote semiconductor, EDA (Electronic Design automation), and EV startups, the government has developed a number of incentive programs, including the Design-Linked Incentive (DLI), Production-Linked Incentive (PLI), and others.
To further sensitise the startups in the space and help them execute their semiconductor design ideas, Rajeev Chandrasekhar Minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship and Electronics and Information Technology of India flagged off the second edition of Semicon Future Design Roadshow in Bengaluru on February 24, 2023.
The minister introduced the ChipIN Centre at C-DAC Bengaluru, India, during the roadshow. This facility will serve as a one-stop shop for semiconductor design tools, fabrication access, virtual prototyping HW Lab, and access to fabless chip designers throughout the nation. The largest datasets program in the world, the India AI datasets program, will be launched, according to Chandrasekhar, in order to spur the ecosystems of intelligent computing, artificial intelligence computing, and device and system design.
The government approved the Semicon India program, with a budget of INR 76,000 Cr, in December of last year in order to expand the ecosystem for semiconductor design and manufacture in India.
India is not one of the top countries for semiconductor design and manufacture, despite possessing 20% of the world’s skill pool for the field and their capacity for innovation. What will differ from DLIs-style programs?
Rajeev Chandrasekhar: I believe it is incorrect to believe that we aren’t nearly there. Indian engineers are designing a big number of semiconductors in India. However, these are being built for global companies, so very few IPs (Intellectual Property) and designs are owned by India.
In order to build local capacity for designing future IP and chips, we must get ready for the new reordering in the upcoming years. In order to create a very competitive startup environment that can either develop chips independently or co-develop chips with a global reach, it is now intended to increase the talent pool.
Since 2022, applications for the DLI scheme have been sought. How have entrepreneurs responded so far?
Rajeev Chandrasekhar: The design and manufacture of semiconductors is a very hard profession, and many people are skeptical about the success rate in this line of work, particularly when young people see their classmates inventing unicorns online. Not everyone belongs here, and certainly not the weak of heart.
The draft Digital India Bill suggests setting up an internet regulator. Why do we need separate regulators when regulators like the RBI, SEBI, and TRAI have typically been regulating their TAMs – whether online or offline?
Rajeev Chandrasekhar: We want to have a public discussion on this in March. We will undoubtedly examine the ways in which various regulators can control industries that may or may not have a digital presence. We must have a thorough discussion. As of right now, we intend to have a grievance handling procedure in place to support citizens who have been victimized by any form of online harassment.
Many people criticized the IT Regulations (Amendment), 2022, which called for the formation of a grievance appeal committee and referred to it as a government-appointed filtering body. Which way do you perceive it?
Chandrasekhar, Rajeev Several platforms are not doing their duties, which is why the grievance appellate committee has been proposed. No platform will be permitted to mistreat or profit off of a citizen. A person may appeal to the Grievance Affiliate committee if a platform does not handle a complaint. Why would GAC get involved if the platform already addresses it?
