India’s semiconductor mission might need a compass

Subject : Science and technology

Section: Msc

Concept :

The United States Department of Commerce and its Indian counterpart have recently concluded a memorandum of understanding to ensure that subsidies by each country do not come in the way of India’s semiconductor dreams, as espoused by the much publicized semiconductor policy.

India’s Semiconductor Mission

India Semiconductor Mission (ISM) has been setup as an Independent Business Division within Digital India Corporation having administrative and financial autonomy to formulate and drive India’s long-term strategies for developing semiconductors and display manufacturing facilities and semiconductor design ecosystem.
ISM is serving as the nodal agency for efficient, coherent and smooth implementation of the programme for development of semiconductor and manufacturing ecosystem in India.

Significance of the Mission

Create a prosperous semiconductor ecosystem– India’s Semiconductor Mission is the latest division of the Digital India Corporation. The goal is to create a prospering semiconductor and exhibit ecosystem that would allow India to become a global center for electronics manufacturing and innovation.
Self -Sufficient– The mission will be self-sufficient in terms of deciding the best technology combination, applications, node production, and capacity, as well as suggesting the fiscal aid framework and amount for approved applicants.
Act as focal point – Led by global experts of the Semiconductor and display ecosystem the mission aims to serve as a focal point for the comprehensive, coherent, efficient, and smooth deployment of the Program.

Objectives of the Mission:

Long-term strategy for developing semiconductors– Formulation of a comprehensive long-term strategy for developing semiconductors & display manufacturing facilities and semiconductor design ecosystem in the country in consultation with Government ministries / departments / agencies, industry, and academia.
Adoption of trusted electronics-Facilitation in the adoption of trusted electronics through secure semiconductors and display supply chain, including raw materials, specialty chemicals, gases, and manufacturing equipment.
Promoting indigenous Intellectual Property -Promoting indigenous Intellectual Property (IP) generation and encourage, enable and incentivize Transfer of Technologies (ToT).

Way Ahead:

Subsidies to enterprises- The recent efforts is to open up subsidies to global small and medium sized enterprises in the upstream supply chain are welcome because an existing facility like the Semi-Conductor Laboratory (SCL) will benefit from this.
Full time director– To execute this vision in the next five years, there is a need to have a career scientist from the Department of Space, as is the case now. This is because there is a multifaceted market that needs to be served.
Leverage assets at Semiconductor Laboratory (SCL)- We need to leverage human and capital assets at the SCL to build on what exists in a targeted manner, to jumpstart the semiconductor mission by taking advantage of recent technological breakthroughs.

Digital India Corporation

Digital India Corporation is a not-for-profit Company set up by Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), of India, under Section 8 of Companies Act 2013.
Digital India Corporation (DIC) leads and guides in realizing the vision, objectives and goals of the Digital India program.
It provides the strategic support to Ministries/Departments of Centre/States for carrying forward the mission of Digital India by way of Capacity Building for e-Governance projects, promoting best practises, encouraging Public-Private Partnerships (PPP), nurturing innovation and technology in various domains.