Centre to modernise, upgrade Semi-Conductor Laboratory in Mohali

The Semi-Conductor Laboratory (SCL) in Mohali will be augmented, modernised and upgraded for playing a larger role in the development of the semiconductor ecosystem in the country, the Centre has said.

It will be done under the Semicon India Programme, for which the government has approved a total outlay of Rs 76,000 crore.

Union Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology Jitin Prasada informed this while responding to the query raised by Chandigarh MP Manish Tewari in Lok Sabha on Wednesday.

He said recognising the importance of semiconductor industry, the government has approved Semicon India Programme with a total outlay of Rs 76,000 crore, following the inter-ministerial consultation, including the Department of Space for modernisation and upgradation of SCL in Mohali. Accordingly, SCL has been brought under the administrative control of MeitY vide notification issued on February 7, 2022.

Reacting to the response, Tewari said, “It is unfortunate that a comprehensive question on SCL — perhaps the first-of-its-kind has met with a motherhood and apple pie response from the government”.

He said if the problems, issues and challenges of SCL are not surmounted, it would be a serious setback to India’s semiconductor ambitions.

“Semi-Conductor Limited in Mohali was set up in 1976. There was a mysterious fire on February 7, 1989, that many believe was the handiwork of Pakistan’s ISI and at the behest of its western masters. This was designed to set back India’s pioneering efforts in chip making which at that point of time was way ahead of the US and even Taiwan, the market leader in this field,” the senior Congress leader and former Union Minister said.

Calling SCL as critical to the success of India’s semiconductor chip making ambitions, Tewari said the SCL is facing myriad challenges, including low morale among the scientific community because of serious salary and pension issues.

Replying to the unstarred question, the Union Minister said with the change in administrative control, while meeting the strategic requirements, SCL in Mohali is also being used by Indian start-ups and academia to fabricate chips. “56 designs of 34 institutions have been taped out under Chips to Startup (C2S) Programme at SCL in Mohali, of which end-to-end fabrication has been completed for 28 chips designed by 25 academic institutions,” Prasada informed.

He disclosed that augmentation of SCL is part of the overall goal of giving SCL a larger role in the development of the semiconductor ecosystem in the country. “SCL employees are an integral part of this modernisation process,” he said.

The government maintained that SCL fulfils the requirements of the Department of Space and ISRO, and was catering to the strategic requirement of the country.

COMPREHENSIVE STRATEGY: MINISTER

“India’s semiconductor strategy is comprehensive. It aims to develop a complete ecosystem, ranging from design, fabrication, assembly, testing, packing and manufacturing. India is focusing on developing a deep talent pipeline. India’s strategy is inspired by Prime Minister’s vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat, Make in India and Make for the World. It builds on the design capabilities in our country.” JITIN PRASADA, Union Minister of State for Electronics & Information Technology

FACING MYRIAD CHALLENGES: MP

“SCL is critical to the success of India’s semiconductor chip making ambitions. It is facing myriad challenges, including low morale among the scientific community because of serious salary and pension issues.” MANISH TEWARI, Chandigarh MP

SERVING SPACE, STRATEGIC SECTORS

SCL in Mohali undertakes activities related to the design development, fabrication, assembly and packaging, testing, and quality assurance of Silicon CMOS and MEMS devices for various applications, including strategic sectors. It manufactures a variety of integrated circuits (ICs), including linear voltage regulators, voltage references and switches, data converters, amplifiers, drivers and application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs). These ICs have applications in various sectors including space.

VITAL FOR NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Semiconductor manufacturing is a foundational and strategic industry, vital for national development. Semiconductor chips are critical for manufacturing of many products ranging from mobile phones to refrigerators and cars to missiles. With growth in electronics manufacturing, it is imperative for India to develop the semiconductor industry, which provides components to electronics manufacturing. Semiconductor ecosystem includes designing, fabrication and packaging of chips. All of these require capital investment for a sustained period and highly skilled manpower. Chip manufacturing processes need more than three hundred different types of specialised gases and chemicals.