Semiconductor body launches Kolkata chapter

Indian Semiconductor Association (ISA) today launched its Kolkata chapter and unveiled its plans for the region.

Christened ISA Technnovation Initiative (ITA), it aimed to promote technology and innovation in the Indian semiconductor industry.

Components of the initiative were 'Patent Fabric' "" which would focus on converting innovative ideas from India universities into patents. This would be achieved by educating universities on intellectual property and by providing subsidised legal assistance for filing of patents in India and in the US.

Other components of the initiative were 'ISA-Technnovation shield' which would be awarded every year to top five university students in the country with outstanding performance in technology innovation.

ITA also included components like ISA-Technovators of the Year, ISA-Technowhizkids of the Year, Life Time Achievement Award for Technovation and ISA PhD Fellowships.

These components ITA aimed at awarding post graduate students, students and achievers in the industry.

Commenting on the new initiative, Rajendra Khare, managing director, Broadcom India and Chairman ISA said, "The two-decade-old Indian semiconductor industry is morphing itself into playing a more significant global role and the time is absolutely ripe for a competitive initiative like this."

"With this initiative we intend to institutionalise patent awareness among Indian universities this fuelling technology innovations, generate world class talent by promoting higher education and research in the semiconductor technology and related areas, create an eco-system around the universities in India, promote entrepreneurial ventures through patented research and finally shape a robust and dynamic vision for the Indian semiconductor industry," he added.

ISA was also taking up the task of evaluating the size of the semiconductor industry in India. The project would also try and estimate the growth the demand in the segment in the next three to four years.

"We would be working with consultancy firms to evaluate the size of the industry," he explained.

Talking about tie-ups with universities, he said that as many as 25 such institutions were likely to join ISA to help and develop a platform where the academia and the industry can work together to develop solutions for the industry which would be beneficial for both.