SCL-Mohali to be upgraded, says Parliament panel

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, March 21

The government is modernising the existing Semi-Conductor Laboratory (SCL) in Mohali as part of the effort to set up a latest manufacturing facility for making semi-conductors which are used in display panels of smart phones, laptops, TV screens, weapon systems and automobiles.

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Communications and Information Technology gave a report in the House on the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology which detailed a plan on modernising the SCL unit in Mohali, saying that the government had informed the committee of the upgrade plan.

The upgrade will be handled by soon-to-be set up India Semiconductor Mission (ISM) which will be an independent business division within the Digital India Corporation having administrative and financial autonomy to drive India’s strategies for developing semiconductors and display-manufacturing ecosystem.

Envisioned to be led by global experts in the semiconductor and display industry, the ISM will serve as the nodal agency for efficient, coherent and smooth implementation of the schemes.

The report of the committee says the strength of India lies in semiconductors design. India is designing for the companies that comes from outside but are not making its own IP design and competing with the other companies.

Last month, the Union Cabinet approved a programme of Rs76,000 crore for the development of sustainable semiconductor and display manufacturing in the country.

The government is aiming at setting up a semi-conductors and sensors lab and semiconductor assembly units.

The committee said semiconductors manufacturing in India was at a nascent stage and the country was yet to make a foray into this sector. “There is an urgent need to promote semiconductor-manufacturing facilities in the country,” it said.

Semiconductor Mission

The upgrade will be handled by soon-to-be set up India Semiconductor Mission, an independent business division within the Digital India Corporation having administrative and financial autonomy to drive India’s strategies for developing semiconductors and display-manufacturing ecosystem.

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