Bengal to pitch for chip design centre in state

The West Bengal government would make a pitch for setting up a chip design facility before the Centre which had drawn up plans to set up manufacturing units for semi-conductors in the country.
"The West Bengal government will approach the Centre for setting up a chip design facility in the state which requires huge investments", chairman of West Bengal Electronics Industry Development Corporation Hirak Sengupta said.
Talking to reporters on the sidelines of a seminar on electronics industry organised by Bengal Chamber here today, Sengupta said the Centre had chalked out big plans involving huge investments in this regard.
"There will be need for financial support by the West Bengal government also", he said.

Sengupta said if the state needed to capture a big chunk of the electronics industry base in the country, then the focus should be directed towards semi-conductors manufacturing centres.
Presently, West Bengal's market share in the Indian electronics market was four per cent, he said.
"For this reason, the government was laying stress on electronics systems design and manufacturing (ESDM)", Sengupta said.
He said that since the market for mobile handsets, flat panel TVs and set-top boxes was on the rise, the future of the semi-conductor industry looked bright.