ChinaTalk India's Chip War
Feb 25, 2024
Pranay Kotasthane, a former chip designer at TI and Qualcomm, and Chris Miller, co-author of 'Chip War', dive into India's semiconductor landscape. They explore why India excels in software yet struggles with chip manufacturing. The guests discuss the impact of historical policies on technology growth, contrasting India's journey with that of China. Insights on the collaborative nature of chip design reveal what it takes to build successful semiconductor ventures, while also examining India’s evolving challenges and future in this competitive field.
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SCL's Journey
- Semiconductor Complex Limited (SCL) in Chandigarh, a government-run company, began producing chips in 1984.
- Despite achieving some success and technology transfers, SCL couldn't produce commercial chips at scale and fell behind.
BEL's Limited Success
- Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), another government-run company, started with transistors in 1959 and moved to ICs.
- Despite technology transfers, BEL also primarily manufactured for government use and didn't scale commercially.
Ecosystem Matters
- India lacked a broad electronics ecosystem, making it hard to develop semiconductor manufacturing.
- Taiwan's existing OSAT business made it easier for them to attract chip manufacturing investment, unlike India.
