IESA, SEMI collaborate to boost India's semicon ecosystem, global partnerships

The Indian Electronics and Semiconductor Association (IESA), the premier industry body representing the Indian Electronic System Design and Manufacturing ESDM industry, on Wednesday, entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with SEMI, the global industry association representing over 3,000 member companies in the semiconductor design and manufacturing supply chain.

Signed in Bengaluru in the presence of over 200 IESA members, this MoU is a strategic move to foster collaboration and synergies between the two bodies, to enhance the Indian semiconductor ecosystem and global partnerships.

The scope of this MoU encompasses the identification of collaborative opportunities to connect Indian stakeholders to the global semiconductor manufacturing and design supply chain, addressing key areas such as manufacturing, enabling policies, design, skilling, R&D, academia, and supply chains. It also aims to harness research data to further these goals. The first step in a series of joint activities planned for the coming years is the SEMICON 2024 event in Sept’24, with which the MoU will pave the way for a long-term partnership between SEMI and IESA. Ajit Manocha, President and CEO of SEMI said in a statement, "The combined strength of our global network and IESA’s Indian connections will help to establish India as the next global manufacturing and design hub. We expect our collaboration with multiple partners on SEMICON India 2024 in September to catalyze these efforts.”

“As we stand at the cusp of an unprecedented transformation, the MoU between IESA and SEMI marks a pivotal moment for India’s semiconductor industry. This strategic partnership symbolizes our collective resolve to propel India into global semiconductor orbit by harnessing SEMI’s extensive international network and IESA’s deep-rooted expertise in the Indian ESDM Industry,” Ashok Chandak, President of IESA, said in a statement.

As a part of the partnership, IESA and SEMI will work together to connect stakeholders in government, industry, and academia in India with the global semiconductor manufacturing and design industry, leveraging SEMI’s global footprint and IESA’s strong domestic presence. The collaboration will also see both organizations leveraging their events and initiatives to enable companies to meet, form new partnerships, and advance the emerging Indian manufacturing and design ecosystem, with a particular focus on talent development and semiconductor manufacturing capabilities.

Furthermore, the MoU will facilitate the curation and execution of joint events in India aimed at talent mapping, skilling, practical knowledge, equity, diversity, and inclusion. The agreement also includes provisions for the mutual use of each other’s logos in all printed literature and events related to this collaboration, enabling the sharing of pertinent updates and conducting webinars on policy issues and activities in the semiconductor domain, worldwide.

On Tuesday, IESA announced its new Executive Council during the annual member meeting held in Bangalore and named Dr V Veerappan as Chairperson for the 2024-25 term. He serves as the Co-Founder & President of Tessolve Semiconductor Private Ltd and succeeds Sanjay Gupta, the President and CEO of Minda Corporation who moves to an advisory role.

“The MoU with SEMI is a testament to the long-standing commitment of IESA and SEMI to fostering global industry collaboration. As we unite our strengths, IESA is excited to embark on this journey with SEMI, we are poised to unlock unprecedented opportunities for growth, collaboration, and technological advancement between Indian and global players,” said Veerappan.

The demand for semiconductors has experienced a notable surge in recent years, driven by factors such as the widespread adoption of 5G technology, the growing popularity of cryptocurrency mining necessitating a higher quantity of processing units, and the government's persistent efforts towards digitalization.

The Indian semiconductor market was valued at approximately $23.2 Bn and is projected to reach $80.3 Bn by 2028, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 17.10% during the forecast period.