India semicon ecosystem needs more research-industry ties: S'pore official

Navab Singh said India's growing semiconductor ecosystem, including investments by companies such as Tata Electronics, would be critical to the industry's development.

India's semiconductor ecosystem is taking shape at an accelerated pace and could attract greater international attention in the next three to five years, but the country would benefit from an umbrella agency to help translate research into industry, a senior Singapore semiconductor R&D official has said.

Navab Singh, Deputy Executive Director (Research) at the A*STAR Institute of Microelectronics, said Indian institutions such as the IITs and the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bangalore are investing in semiconductor research and training manpower, while companies such as Tata Electronics are driving investments in the sector.

"We see government-led momentum picking up in developing the semiconductor industry, with research institutions such as the Indian Institutes of Technologies (IITs) and the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bangalore investing in semiconductors and training manpower," Singh said in an interview with PTI.

 

A*STAR IME is working with IIT Kharagpur on thermal management for AI hardware, with the two institutions bringing complementary capabilities in fabrication and simulation, he said.

"We have very good semiconductor fabrication infrastructure here, and very skilled people who can develop prototypes for testing. But this requires a lot of simulation and modelling, so we are leveraging IIT Kharagpur for simulation and modelling. These are complementary skills," he said.

Singh said India's growing semiconductor ecosystem, including investments by companies such as Tata Electronics, would be critical to the industry's development.

"The ecosystem is very important, and India is now developing it. Once that ecosystem is in better shape, I think that will be the inflection point for India," he said.

Singh, an IIT Delhi alumnus, said an agency modelled on A*STAR could help India bridge the gap between research institutions and industry. A*STAR works with universities on research and takes technologies "from pathfinding through to translation and technology development" with industry, he said.

He expects India's semiconductor sector to see significant momentum over the next three to five years.

India's semiconductor market is projected to reach USD 200 billion by 2035, according to an EY-India Electronics and Semiconductor Association report.

"India's significant investments in semiconductors are opening opportunities for stronger research and innovation partnerships between Indian institutions and Singapore, including A*STAR," Singh said.

"By combining India's strengths in fundamental research with A*STAR's expertise in translational R&D and industry engagement, both sides can create valuable synergies that support the growth of the semiconductor ecosystem." Singapore accounts for about 10 per cent of global semiconductor output and 20 per cent of semiconductor equipment production, according to Singapore government figures.