The Indian government is making significant advancements in the semiconductor sector, with the approval of two major investments intended to position the nation at the forefront of semiconductor manufacturing and research. The Semiconductor R&D Committee recently put forth a proposal for the establishment of the India Semiconductor Research Centre (ISRC), and this suggestion has garnered a favorable response from Minister for Electronics & IT Rajeev Chandrasekhar.

The Center's objective is to promote collaboration between industry, academia, and the government, thus bridging the gap between research and manufacturing. Furthermore, the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology in India is actively pursuing the achievement of advanced silicon photonic processor cores within a five-year timeframe through the inauguration of the Center for Programmable Photonic Integrated Circuit and Systems (CPPICS).

Why does this matter?

Despite some doubts, India's efforts in the semiconductor field are gaining momentum and drawing the participation of major technology players like Dell, Apple, HPE, Cisco, and Google for the establishment of local manufacturing facilities. This underscores India's potential as an appealing alternative to China for electronics manufacturing.

The ISRC is envisioned as a pivotal institution in India's semiconductor capabilities, comparable to esteemed global laboratories such as MIT Lincoln Laboratory Microelectronics Laboratory, Taiwan's Industrial Technology Research Institute, and Europe's Interuniversity Microelectronics Centre. Although the commitment to establish the ISRC is pending, its anticipated areas of focus include semiconductor processes, advanced packaging, compound semiconductors, and electronic design automation tools.