Mohali poised to be chip-making hub

Vijay C Roy

Chandigarh, September 26

India’s position as a low-cost manufacturing destination for electronics and semiconductors, coupled with government schemes that are offering incentives and subsidies, can act as a driving force in making Mohali as one of the major hubs for semiconductor manufacturing in Punjab.

In public sector, the Central Government is all set to modernise the Semi-Conductor Laboratory (SCL) and has invited proposals, while in private sector the Continental Device India (P) Ltd (CDIL) Semiconductors, India’s first semiconductor chips and components manufacturer, will be adding new semiconductor packaging lines.

The Centre has already committed $ 2 billion (approx Rs 16,670 crore) to modernise the SCL in Mohali. Taking a step in this direction, the Central Government has invited bids from Indian and global companies with expertise in technology and operations to modernise it.

According to the EoI document, the government is aiming to make the SCL into a research and development-led centre of excellence with semiconductor R&D capabilities.

Meanwhile, CDIL Semiconductors, India’s first semiconductor chips and components manufacturer, will be adding new semiconductor packaging lines via the Government of India and MeitY’s SPECS scheme (Scheme for Promotion of Manufacturing of Electronic Components and Semiconductors). With the new lines, it aims to increase its annual capacity by 100 million units.

The company initiated the first phase of this production with a surface mount packaging line of 50 million devices that will be inaugurated on September 28 by Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Union Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology & Skill Development and Entrepreneurship.