India Aims to Boost Domestic Chip Design for Telecom Infrastructure, Says IESA President
IESAs Ashok Chandak emphasizes the need for domestic chip design to enhance Indias telecom infrastructure and competitiveness.
Bengaluru, October 9 (Daily Kiran) : The President of the India Electronics and Semiconductor Association (IESA) and CEO of Semi India, Ashok Chandak, highlighted the urgent need for India to strengthen its domestic chip design capabilities for telecom infrastructure. Speaking in Bengaluru, he emphasized the importance of providing growth capital to small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to help them expand and compete globally.
Chandak pointed out that India’s telecom infrastructure is heavily reliant on imported products and equipment, while domestic chip design remains limited. He noted that the proposed SemiCon 2.0 policy could encourage the development of local chip designs and indigenous intellectual property (IP), which are essential for meeting the requirements of 5G and 6G telecommunications.
He stated, “Most of the telecom infrastructure is based on imported products. The number of chips designed in India is very low or virtually negligible.” Understanding the specific needs and technical requirements of telecom infrastructure will enable India to design chips tailored to its needs. The SemiCon 2.0 initiative could support the development of local designs and intellectual property rights (IPR).
Chandak further remarked, “The SemiCon 2.0 policy will promote the local design of these chips and the development of IPRs to meet the telecom infrastructure needs.” He added that India is now entering a new phase, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and various government efforts positioning the country on the global map. Many companies and nations are beginning to trust India.
He also emphasized the complementary roles of the India Mobile Congress and SemiCon India, noting that the former focuses on telecom infrastructure, equipment, and related development, while the latter aims to develop the entire semiconductor value chain, from chip design to manufacturing. Chandak described these initiatives as distinct yet interconnected components of a broader technology ecosystem.
