Indian, US chip industry bodies meet Karnataka govt officials to explore opportunities

India Electronics and Semiconductor Association (IESA) and US Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) met Karnataka government officials to discuss developing the chip manufacturing ecosystem in India. 

The move came two days after the associations signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to identify potential areas of collaboration between India and the US in the semiconductor space. 

During the meeting, the associations discussed developing the semiconductor industry, particularly in Bangalore and other cities in Karnataka. They also discussed ways to explore opportunities to ‘collaborate’ with the global companies in the industry and attract more investments to Karnataka. 

SIA’s member companies include large American chip designers and manufacturers, such as Intel, AMD, NVIDIA, Texas Instruments, Qualcomm, Global Foundries, and Broadcom. 

The SIA delegation maintained that they discussed sector-specific policies, support systems, and infrastructure of the state government.

“We are enthused by the state government's efforts to attract new players to the existing semiconductor ecosystem. We look forward to continuing these important conversations and helping our members connect to the state’s policymakers,” John Neuffer, president and CEO of SIA said in a statement.

Under the MoU, IESA and SIA will assist each other as the main counterpart organization on semiconductor-related matters within India and the US. They will co-organize meetings and exchange data and views on policies and processes that will help to accelerate the cooperation on topics of mutual interests. They will also organize joint events (virtual or in-person) to explore potential opportunities for US-India cooperation within the global semiconductor value chain.

Gunjan Krishna, Director, Department of Industries & Commerce, Karnataka, said, “Karnataka has sector-specific policies to boost overall industrial growth in the state. We have exclusive policies for the sector to make sure we are providing the best possible incentives and infrastructure for investors. We are working closely with both industry and government stakeholders to build design and manufacturing capabilities.”