Pegasus plans Rs 200 crore semiconductor plant in Ahmedabad

To manufacture white LED lighting systems.

In what could provide an impetus to energy conservation and reduce power costs, Ahmedabad-based Pegasus Semiconductors Pvt. Ltd. is setting up a manufacturing plant on the outskirts of the city for white light emitting diode (LEDs) semi-conductor chips.

At an investment of around Rs 200 crore, the plant is set to commission within two years.

White LEDs, which are prominent in western countries, offer better lumens per watt than incandescent bulb and compact fluorescent lamp (CFL).

However, currently white LED semi-conductor chips have to be imported in India from abroad. Once commissioned, the company will probably become the first manufacturer of such chips, said Sudhindra Tatti, president of Pegasus Semiconductors Pvt. Ltd.

The upcoming plant will begin assembling atleast 1,000-odd white LED light systems per month and subsequently ramp up the volume once the manufacturing activities begin. The company's operations will also be part-funded by Gujarat Venture Finance Limited (GVFL), which has expressed its desire to invest in the project.

Tatti said that while currently the market for white LEDs is only for early adapters looking for aesthetic application, the company will target rural as well as urban households for solar lighting systems.

"Once the market begins to understand and accept the benefits of white LEDs as against its conventional alternatives, we will have to manufacture atleast a million semi-conductor chips per month," he added.

"Initially, we plan to manufacture solar lighting systems consisting white LED technology and later introduce conventional energy based systems. White LEDs help save 2-3 times of energy as compared to other alternatives. They also reduce design cost for lighting systems, making them more affordable," said Tatti.

To begin with, the company is piloting these lighting systems at college campuses and intends to target public buildings, street lighting and households later on.