The initiatives mark a crucial step forward in Qualcomm’s journey of innovation also strengthening its presence in India. This expansion entails an investment of Rs 177.27 crore…reports Asian Lite News
American semiconductor manufacturer Qualcomm has opened a design centre in Chennai. The centre was inaugurated by Union Minister for Information and Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw on Thursday, in the presence of the company’s President and CEO Cristiano R Amon.
The US-headquartered multinational corporation, Qualcomm, is famed for designing and manufacturing semiconductors and wireless telecommunications products.
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“PM Shri @narendramodi Ji’s vision is to develop complete semiconductor ecosystem. Today one more building block – Qualcomm semiconductor design center inaugurated in Chennai. Thankyou Mr. @cristianoamon and special thanks for showing up in Indian traditional attire,” the minister posted on X.
The minister also launched its 6G University Research India Program today, at the Ramanujan IT City, Taramani, Chennai.
These initiatives mark a crucial step forward in Qualcomm’s journey of innovation also strengthening its presence in India. This expansion entails an investment of Rs 177.27 crore.
Talking about the semiconductor production in India, Vaishnaw pointed out that all the three semiconductor chips in the Qualcomm board will be designed now end to end in the newly inaugurated Chennai Design Center and thus meeting the Prime Minister’s vision of creating entire value chain of semi-conductor in India starting from design, fabrication and ATMP (Assembling, Testing, Marking and Packaging) and encompassing further all three layers of semiconductor ecosystem, i.e., talent pool, gases and chemicals and semiconductor equipment.
The Minister also said that the with foundation stone laying for three projects of semiconductor by the Prime Minister on Wednesday, the country will have capability in all fields — design, fabrication and ATMP (Modified Assembly, Testing, Marking, and Packaging).
“We have programmed with 104 universities spread across the nation where the latest design tools are made available to the students, to learn, experiment and try out new ideas,” the Minister noted.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stones for three new semiconductor plants in the country on Wednesday. In India’s endeavour to ramp up its semiconductor ecosystem, three new chip plants – two in Gujarat and one in Assam are being set up- in addition to the under-construction chip plant at Sanand in Gujarat. Tata Group is setting up two of these three new plants.
The semiconductor industry in India is still in a nascent stage, with various local and multinational companies intending to tap its vast potential.
The Programme for Development of Semiconductors and Display Manufacturing Ecosystem in India was notified on December 21, 2021, with a total outlay of Rs 76,000 crore.
Meanwhile, Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT) on Friday announced plans to collaborate with global giant Qualcomm Technologies Inc, a subsidiary of Qualcomm Incorporated, to establish a strategic partnership that will foster innovation in India and support developers and start-ups in the country working on innovative products and use cases.
Qualcomm Technologies has signed an MoU with C-DOT to provide expertise and best practices, state-of-the-art technology, intellectual property training and tools, for enabling Indian startups, academia, and OEMs, and fast-tracking the development and commercialisation of indigenous telecom products utilising Qualcomm wireless solutions and technologies.
Through this collaboration, C-DOT and Qualcomm Technologies will work towards the following broad objectives:
Facilitate access for the startups, OEMs and academia with foundational chip technologies and domain experts that will stimulate innovation and help them scale up their R&D efforts
Accelerate the pace of commercialisation and business development of Indian startups engaged in building indigenous telecom products and solutions
Speaking on the initiative, Neeraj Mittal, Chairman, of the Digital Communications Commission and Secretary of, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) said that India’s developers, academia and startup ecosystem are at the forefront of driving innovation in the country.
“With immense pride in our nation’s cutting-edge research, we stand alongside Qualcomm in nurturing the entrepreneurial vigour in telecom technology. This initiative is reaffirming the Prime Minister’s commitment to the government’s Design in India and Make in India vision, recognising the potential of homegrown startups to drive groundbreaking innovations and propel India’s leadership in the telecom landscape,” he said.
Rajkumar Upadhyay, CEO, of C-DOT, said “Our collaboration with Qualcomm Technologies will help transition us to an era where innovation thrives, unlocking the vast potential of Indian R&D, accelerating the commercialisation of new products and use cases and fostering a vibrant ecosystem of startups.
Speaking on Qualcomm’s commitment to India, Savi Soin, Senior Vice President, and President of Qualcomm India said that India has a thriving developer and startup ecosystem driven by enormous technology talent.
“The recent initiatives by the government have been key in making India a growth conducive market for tech companies of various scales. With the government’s push for Design in India coupled with growing adoption of 5G and on the device-AI, we see greater scope for innovations,” he said.
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