Indian semiconductor ecosystem: News, Updates & Discussions.

[jetray]

Most of the required chips can still be build with older tech, they might have lower margin but higher volume.

US crackdown on advanced chips gives China an opening on old technology

The US has focused on building domestic supply chains for advanced semiconductors. Now, China is rapidly expanding its own manufacturing capacity for less advanced but more widely used chips.

finance.yahoo.com

 

[Gautam]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1828753062548431076

DRDO’s young scientists complete end-to-end testing of 6-qubit quantum processor based on superconducting circuit technology

Posted On: 28 AUG 2024 4:15PM by PIB Delhi

Scientists from DRDO Young Scientists Laboratory for Quantum Technologies (DYSL-QT), Pune and Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), Mumbai have completed end-to-end testing of a 6-qubit quantum processor based on superconducting circuit technology. The demonstration was carried out in front of the apex committee overseeing the DYSL-QT. This included submitting a quantum circuit from a cloud-based interface, the execution of the programme on the quantum hardware and updating the cloud interface with computed results.

The project being executed at TIFR Mumbai’s Colaba campus is a three-way collaboration between DYSL-QT, TIFR and Tata Consultancy Services (TCS). The DYSL-QT scientists put together the control and measurement apparatus using a combination of commercial off-the-shelf electronics and custom-programmed development boards. The qubits were designed and fabricated at TIFR and the quantum processor architecture is based on a novel ring-resonator design invented at TIFR. The cloud-based interface to the quantum hardware is developed by TCS.

The scientists are now working on optimizing various aspects of the system performance before it becomes ready for operation. Plans are underway to provide wider access to this system for education, research and eventually as a test bed for testing superconducting quantum devices for analysis. The next development target is to scale up the number of Qubits and assess the scaling trends with respect to technology challenges, development effort/time and monetary resources required for development, operations & commercialisation of various sizes of quantum computers. This will involve a holistic view from the quantum theory to engineering to business feasibility.

DRDO’s young scientists complete end-to-end testing of 6-qubit quantum processor based on superconducting circuit technology

 

[Ashwin]

L&T Semiconductor, C-DAC sign pact to jointly work on indigenous chip tech​

It looks like L&T is going for a fabless longer term plan.

 

[Gautam]

Saankhya Labs chips going into service in the National Vessel Communication Mission:

Saankhya Labs was acquired by Tejas Networks. TATA Sons own 43% of Tejas Networks.

 

[Gautam]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1828753062548431076

DRDO’s young scientists complete end-to-end testing of 6-qubit quantum processor based on superconducting circuit technology

Posted On: 28 AUG 2024 4:15PM by PIB Delhi
View attachment 35867

Scientists from DRDO Young Scientists Laboratory for Quantum Technologies (DYSL-QT), Pune and Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), Mumbai have completed end-to-end testing of a 6-qubit quantum processor based on superconducting circuit technology. The demonstration was carried out in front of the apex committee overseeing the DYSL-QT. This included submitting a quantum circuit from a cloud-based interface, the execution of the programme on the quantum hardware and updating the cloud interface with computed results.

The project being executed at TIFR Mumbai’s Colaba campus is a three-way collaboration between DYSL-QT, TIFR and Tata Consultancy Services (TCS). The DYSL-QT scientists put together the control and measurement apparatus using a combination of commercial off-the-shelf electronics and custom-programmed development boards. The qubits were designed and fabricated at TIFR and the quantum processor architecture is based on a novel ring-resonator design invented at TIFR. The cloud-based interface to the quantum hardware is developed by TCS.

View attachment 35866

The scientists are now working on optimizing various aspects of the system performance before it becomes ready for operation. Plans are underway to provide wider access to this system for education, research and eventually as a test bed for testing superconducting quantum devices for analysis. The next development target is to scale up the number of Qubits and assess the scaling trends with respect to technology challenges, development effort/time and monetary resources required for development, operations & commercialisation of various sizes of quantum computers. This will involve a holistic view from the quantum theory to engineering to business feasibility.

DRDO’s young scientists complete end-to-end testing of 6-qubit quantum processor based on superconducting circuit technology

DRDO, TIFR test 6-qubit quantum processor: What it means for India's quantum future

India Today Science Desk
New Delhi, UPDATED: Sep 1, 2024, 10:48 IST

The demonstration by DRDO and TIFR, conducted before the apex committee overseeing DYSL-QT, showcased the full functionality of the quantum system.

The Quantum Measurement and Control Lab at TIFR, Mumbai; (Photo: Mandar Deodhar).

In Short

• Quantum technology deals with the behavior of particles at the atomic and subatomic levels
• A 6-qubit quantum processor is a computing device that utilizes six quantum bits
• The team showcased the full functionality of the quantum system

In a significant breakthrough for India's quantum technology aspiration, scientists from the DRDO Young Scientists Laboratory for Quantum Technologies (DYSL-QT) in Pune and the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) in Mumbai have successfully completed end-to-end testing of a 6-qubit quantum processor.

This achievement marks a crucial step forward in the country's quantum computing capabilities.

The demonstration by DRDO and TIFR, conducted before the apex committee overseeing DYSL-QT, showcased the full functionality of the quantum system.

Quantum technology is an area of research and development that leverages the principles of quantum mechanics, the branch of physics that deals with the behavior of particles at the atomic and subatomic levels.

Quantum technology aims to harness these quantum phenomena to develop new types of devices and systems with capabilities far beyond those of classical systems. These include quantum computing, quantum communications, and quantum simulations, among others.

A 6-qubit quantum processor is a quantum computing device that utilizes six quantum bits, or qubits, for processing information. In quantum computing, the qubit is the basic unit of quantum information.

Scientists submitted a quantum circuit via a cloud-based interface, executed the program on the quantum hardware, and updated the interface with the computed results, demonstrating the system's operational readiness.

WHY IS IT A BIG DEAL?
This groundbreaking project is a collaborative effort between DYSL-QT, TIFR, and Tata Consultancy Services (TCS). The DYSL-QT team developed the control and measurement apparatus using a combination of off-the-shelf electronics and custom-programmed development boards.

TIFR scientists designed and fabricated the qubits, employing a novel ring-resonator architecture invented at their institution. TCS contributed by developing the cloud-based interface for the quantum hardware.

The successful testing of this 6-qubit processor represents a significant milestone in India's quantum computing journey. It not only demonstrates the country's growing expertise in this cutting-edge field but also positions India as a potential player in the global quantum technology race.

Looking ahead, the research team is focusing on optimizing various aspects of the system's performance before it becomes fully operational.

Plans are underway to provide wider access to this quantum system for educational and research purposes, with the eventual goal of using it as a testbed for analyzing superconducting quantum devices.

The next phase of development aims to scale up the number of qubits and assess the challenges associated with larger quantum systems. This includes evaluating technological hurdles, development efforts, and the resources required for creating and commercializing quantum computers of various sizes.

DRDO, TIFR test 6-qubit quantum processor: What it means for India's quantum future

 

[Ashwin]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1831670046328025410

 

[Rajput Lion]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1831670046328025410

This is an absolutely awesome news.

 

[jetray]

This is an absolutely awesome news.

we need wait until they build & start producing. These approvals are good for nothing they happen all the time. Most of the companies simply back out or start bargaining for more concessions.

 

[Gautam]

India's first Silicon Carbide manufacturing facility to be set up in Odisha - ET EnergyWorld

 

[Gautam]

MeitY approves Mindgrove's proposal to develop second chip under DLI scheme

By ETtech
Sep 09, 2024, 05:56:00 PM IST

Synopsis
The design-linked incentive scheme of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology offers financial incentives and design infrastructure support for 100 domestic companies, startups and MSMEs across the development and deployment of semiconductor design for ICS, Chipsets, SoCs, and other devices for 5 years.​

The government has approved Chennai-based Mindgrove Technologies' proposal to develop its second chip “Vision SoC” under the design-linked incentive scheme, the Indian Institute of Technology Madras-incubated startup said on Monday.

The Vision system-on-chip is aimed at high-performance edge computing and video processing applications and will be used by companies that build and sell close-circuit television cameras, dashcams, video recorders, automotive advanced driver assistance systems, smart televisions, and other devices with video processing functions, the company said.

The Chennai-based fabless semiconductor startup, also backed by Peak XV Partners, had in May this year launched India’s first commercial high-performance system-on-chip.

The Chennai-based startup had said the chip would allow domestic companies to use an Indian SoC in their products and help reduce the cost of their devices, without compromising on high-end features.

Mindgrove was founded by Shashwath and Sharan Srinivas J and is backed by Peak XV Partners, Speciale Invest and Whiteboard Capital.

The design-linked incentive scheme of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology offers financial incentives and design infrastructure support for 100 domestic companies, startups and MSMEs across the development and deployment of semiconductor design for ICS, Chipsets, SoCs, and other devices for 5 years.

MeitY approves Mindgrove's proposal to develop second chip under DLI scheme

 

[Gautam]

Tokyo Electron Ltd to supply equipment to Tata Electronics, train workforce at India’s first fab

https://www.livemint.com/companies/...conductor-fab-facility-ai-11725896297854.html

 

[Gautam]

Apple set to grab biggest bite of made-in-India semiconductors; in talks with Micron, Tata Group to source chips worth $12 billion

Taiwanese Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) is one of Apple’s primary suppliers to whom the company outsources manufacturing of its chips.

Written by Rishi Raj
September 10, 2024, 06:30 IST

In FY24, Apple produced iPhones worth $14 billion in India -- the largest by any company. (Image/Reuters)

Apple has begun negotiations with Micron, the Tata Group and other chip manufacturers setting up plants in India for sourcing supplies worth $12 billion for the iPhones it produces in the country.

The negotiations are significant because Apple’s requirement for semiconductors would touch this level by 2026, according to industry experts. By then, the tech giant would have shifted 26% of its global iPhone capacity to India.

If Micron and Tata Group’s units, which are expected to go on stream by then, manufacture the grades needed by Apple, the bulk of this requirement would be sourced from these firms, creating a huge business opportunity for them, sources said.

Defence, aviation and auto sectors would be the other big chip buyers, but no single company would be able to rival Apple’s spend on microchips made in India, industry sources added.

In FY24, Apple produced iPhones worth $14 billion in India — the largest by any company. This constitutes approximately 14% of Apple’s global iPhone production.

According to publicly available estimates, Apple’s global semiconductor consumption increased over threefold from $18.8 billion in 2011 to cross $67 billion in 2022. Currently, it stands at around $72 billion. Apple produces multiple high-end consumer products – iPhones, iPads, Macs, Apple watches and AirPods – all of which use semiconductors. In India, it began producing iPhones under the smartphone production-linked incentive scheme through its three Taiwanese vendors in 2021.

Taiwanese Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) is one of Apple’s primary suppliers to whom the company outsources manufacturing of its chips. According to experts, Apple alone consumes over 26% of TSMC’s global sales — making it the third-largest chip consumer in the world. Till three years ago, Apple used to manufacture 100% of its iPhones and nearly all of its other consumer products in China. Apple, along with other tech manufacturing giants – American, Japanese and Chinese – made China the world’s largest consumer of semiconductors, which purchased more than 50% of the chips manufactured globally.

The government launched its domestic semiconductor production initiative with a Rs 76,000-crore incentive scheme in 2022. Under the scheme, so far five chip projects worth Rs 1.5 lakh crore have been approved. The projects include Micron’s Rs 22,516 crore ATMP project in Sanand, Tata Group-Powerchip Semiconductor’s (PSMC) Rs 91,000-crore semiconductor fabrication plant in Dholera, Tata’s Rs 27,000-crore ATMP unit in Assam, CG Power’s Rs 7,600-crore ATMP unit in Sanand, and Kaynes’ Rs 3,300-crore OSAT unit in Sanand.

As per the incentive scheme for the development of semiconductors and display manufacturing ecosystem, the Central government provides a fiscal support of 50% of the project cost. Based on the projects approved so far, the government is left with about Rs 10,000 crore under the scheme and given the need to develop the semiconductor ecosystem and attract more global players, it is looking at increasing the outlay of the scheme.

Demand for chips is expected to drive a $1-trillion global industry by 2030 and several countries are pursuing fabs.

https://www.financialexpress.com/bu... negotiations with,it produces in the country.

 

[Ginvincible]

U.S. Adds India to Its Global Semiconductor Alliance​

The move aims to create a friendlier supply chain amid escalating tech competition with China.​

By Rishi Iyengar | September 8, 2024, 11:30 PM

A worker displays a silicon wafer at a semiconductor computer chip fabrication plant in Nijmegen, Netherlands, on March 14. Piroschka van de Wouw/Reuters​

The United States will invest in expanding India’s semiconductor industry as part of a State Department-led initiative to reorient the global technology supply chain in Washington’s favor.

The new partnership, announced in New Delhi on Monday morning local time, “underscores the potential to expand India’s semiconductor industry to the benefit of both nations and the world,” Robert Garverick, the U.S. deputy assistant secretary of state for trade policy and negotiations, said in a statement to Foreign Policy. India is the eighth country with which the United States has signed a similar partnership—joining Costa Rica, Indonesia, Kenya, Mexico, Panama, the Philippines, and Vietnam—through the International Technology Security and Innovation (ITSI) Fund set up last year.

In all eight countries, the United States will focus on building out capabilities for the assembly, testing, and packaging of semiconductors—the final step in the manufacturing process that gets chips ready for use in various electronic devices.

While the exact nature and magnitude of the investments in India will be subject to a review of the country’s ecosystem by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, they are likely to focus primarily on workforce development and skills training, a senior State Department official told Foreign Policy, speaking on condition of anonymity according to ground rules set by the department. “The number of technicians and engineers we need worldwide is astronomical,” the official said. “India is a natural partner in this area, and we’re very excited to explore this opportunity with them.”

Part of ITSI’s resources could also go toward “regulatory reform” in India to help streamline business for the semiconductor industry, the official added.

ITSI is part of the 2022 CHIPS and Science Act, one of the most high-profile pieces of legislation under President Joe Biden, which earmarks nearly $53 billion in government subsidies and investments to entice semiconductor manufacturers back to U.S. shores. But the ITSI Fund looks beyond U.S. borders, with the State Department receiving $500 million over five years to funnel into semiconductor ecosystems in friendly countries around the world that the Biden administration hopes will complement U.S. manufacturing efforts.

“For partner countries, there’s a positive signal that’s being sent by this partnership with the United States, and that’s a signal of the potential that the U.S. government sees,” Ramin Toloui, the State Department’s former assistant secretary for economic and business affairs who played a lead role in ITSI before leaving government in June, told Foreign Policy in an interview before his departure.

Semiconductor chips have acquired unprecedented geopolitical importance, with their use in smartphones, cars, ballistic missiles, and much more, making them the lifeblood of the global economy and indispensable to rapidly growing new technologies such as artificial intelligence and quantum computing. Chips are also at the heart of a growing technological competition with China that the Biden administration has made a priority, dovetailing its legislative efforts with a series of export controls that ban the sale of advanced semiconductors and chipmaking equipment to Chinese firms.

There is also a long-standing effort to diversify the supply chain from Taiwan. Beijing sees the independent island off China’s coast as its own territory and has committed to eventually annexing it, making Taiwan an increasingly dangerous geopolitical hot spot. The island also happens to manufacture more than 90 percent of the world’s most advanced semiconductors.

“We as a world are so dangerously dependent on Taiwan that there’s room for duplication,” U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo told Foreign Policy in an interview this year.

Governments around the world have had a similar awakening, subsidizing their own chip industries in an effort to build a more self-sufficient and resilient manufacturing base. India is no exception, establishing the India Semiconductor Mission, which provides some $9 billion in government funds to semiconductor manufacturing. The United States has been a key partner in those efforts as well, with Idaho-based chip firm Micron Technology announcing a nearly $3 billion commitment to build a new factory in India during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s state visit to Washington last year.

The funds available to ITSI are a mere fraction of that—the State Department gets $100 million each year under the initiative, of which $20 million goes to its Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs to disburse across partner countries. But those investments are “designed to be catalytic,” Toloui said, laying the groundwork for the private sector to follow suit. “The proposition of the fund is with some targeted expenditure of public money, it can create more opportunities that are attractive to the private sector—and that’s something which is good for the United States, good for our partner countries, and ultimately good for the resilience of global semiconductor supply chains.”
================================================================================================================
Source: Foreign Policy

 

[Asterion Moloc]

Scientists at the IISc, Bengaluru, are reporting a momentous breakthrough in neuromorphic, or brain-inspired, computing technology that could potentially allow India to play in the global AI race currently underway and could also democratise the very...

Read more at:

IISc scientists report computing breakthrough

IISc scientists report computing breakthrough

www.deccanherald.com

 

[Asterion Moloc]

Scientists at the IISc, Bengaluru, are reporting a momentous breakthrough in neuromorphic, or brain-inspired, computing technology that could potentially allow India to play in the global AI race currently underway and could also democratise the very...

Read more at:

IISc scientists report computing breakthrough

IISc scientists report computing breakthrough

www.deccanherald.com

The published paper by the group.

Linear symmetric self-selecting 14-bit kinetic molecular memristors - Nature

Harnessing precise molecular kinetics, a 14-bit, energy-efficient dot product engine is realized that unlocks neuromorphic hardware’s potential for core computations.

www.nature.com

good video on similar chips being used and commercialized

hope they spin-off and make a company like this Power-efficient analog compute for edge AI - Mythic

 

[Ashwin]

 

[Gautam]

With US military support, India to get its first national security fab

Biden and Modi hail ‘watershed agreement’; Fab will supply chips to US and Indian defence forces; India says it showcases success of startups globally.

By Prashant Jha
Sep 22, 2024, 07:13 PM IST

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Joe Biden ahead of the Quad Leaders' Summit in Wilmington on Saturday. (ANI).

Delaware/New York: In a pathbreaking agreement with the US, India is all set to get its first national security semiconductor fabrication plant that will supply chips to the US armed forces, its allied militaries, and Indian defence forces. The fab will be set up in India in 2025 and will be called Shakti.

In the joint factsheet released after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s meeting with President Joe Biden in Delaware, the first paragraph in the section on charting a technology partnership for the future said that Biden and Modi “hailed a watershed arrangement to establish a new semiconductor fabrication plant focused on advanced sensing, communication, and power electronics for national security, next generation telecommunications, and green energy applications”.

The factsheet added that the fab will be established with the objective “of manufacturing infrared, gallium nitride and silicon carbide semiconductor”, and will be enabled by the India Semiconductor Mission and a “strategic technology partnership between Bharat Semi, 3rdiTech, and the U.S. Space Force”.

Behind that statement lies a story of remarkable convergence. The US national security establishment has trusted an Indian start-up, led by two young entrepreneurs, Vinayak Dalmia and Vrinda Kapoor, with technology to produce chips that will then feed into America’s security infrastructure as well as that of its allies such as United Kingdom. The startup, 3rdiTech, is collaborating with General Atomics, a US defence major, on a series of significant projects to boost defence technology capacity in India.

The roots of the collaboration go back to the launch of the initiative on critical and emerging technologies (iCET) in January 2023, and more definitively, Modi’s state visit to US in June 2023. Kapoor participated in the tech CEOs roundtable with Modi and Biden. The joint statement then had said, “The U.S. Department of Defense’s Space Force has signed its first International Cooperative Research and Development Agreement with Indian start-up 114 AI and 3rdiTech. Both companies will work with General Atomics to co-develop components using cutting edge technologies in AI and semiconductors respectively.”

At a press briefing held around midnight on Saturday eastern time, bleeding into the early hours of Sunday, soon after Modi landed in New York from Delaware, HT asked foreign secretary Vikram Misri, who also dealt with iCET in his previous role as deputy NSA, about the significance of the announcement, the technology transfer from the US Space Force, and whether this was India’s first national security fab.

Misri said, “The Indian company in this case, 3rdiTech, is a pioneering company and it has been working for the last few years in close cooperation with government of India entities and US entities…What this represents is first the increasing design and manufacturing capacities that are latent in India’s semiconductor sector. We have always been known as a repository of design talent in so far as semiconductors are concerned. But this shows we are breaking into the fabrication part of it and with the right support, right incentives and right access to technology and partnerships from outside, Indian startups can actually make a global mark.”

Misri added that in this case, there were “obviously national security elements” involved on both sides. “There will be applications of the products in national security areas. Whether you can call it a national security fab, I will leave the labeling and adjectives to you. But yes I would say this is an enormously encouraging development. And we are sure there are many more startups that are capable of reproducing what these companies involved in this particular venture have done.”

According to documents reviewed by HT, this will be the first “multichip military fab” in the world. The advanced sensing infrared chips will be used for night vision, missile seekers, space sensors, weapon sights, soldier hand held sights, and drones. The advanced power electronic chips are to be used in satellites, drones, fighter aircrafts, high altitude pseudo satellites, electric vehicles, renewable energy, data centers, and railway engines. And advanced communication radio frequency chips will be used in military communication, satellite communication, electronic warfare jammers, radar and 5G/6G telecom. The manufacturers aim to produce 50,000 units every year to start with in phase 1. The fab will employ 700 people.

With an ambition to build India’s first home grown Integrated Device Manufacturer, the companies will invest in a knowledge center, called Saraswati, which will train 100 people per year. And this will be supplemented by a design center, called Durga, with 250 people.

Those familiar with India’s semiconductor journey and negotiations that preceded the announcement hail it as a landmark moment that gives yet another massive boost to the semiconductor ecosystem. A US-India partnership on these extremely critical and controlled technologies makes India one of the few countries in the world to have the capacity to manufacture these chips.

The combination of central and state government support for the sector, the existing design skill, the recognition among partners that India and particular Indian companies have the tenacity and scale to emerge as a hub for the sector and add value at a time when the world is seeking diverse supply chains, and the strong support of the US national security establishment has come together to give the industry a huge boost.

Commenting on the agreement, Konark Bhandari of Carnegie India, who is a leading authority on the subject, said that while the details regarding the fab are scarce at the moment, it was a welcome step. “The ability to work in a trusted way with other countries and their suppliers, will be key for India, and for any other country, to position itself as a viable location for semiconductor operations. Even the 2022 US CHIPS and Science Act has been predicated on funding being allowed for a ‘Secure Enclave’ project. This project is intended to create a specialised facility to make chips for the defence establishment in the US.”

Bhandari said that the fact that it was a “compound semiconductors fab” was forward-looking move. “This is important when you consider that compound semiconductors, essentially semiconductors made from two or more elements from the periodic table, show a lot of potential for growth. Compound semiconductors such as silicon carbide (SiC) or gallium nitride (GaN) are particularly well-suited for applications requiring high-power electronics. High-power electronics are being used increasingly in the renewable energy industry, among others, and are excellent in providing efficiency.”

The joint factsheet has another announcement in the semiconductor space. Biden and Modi praised “combined efforts to facilitate resilient, secure, and sustainable semiconductor supply chains including through GlobalFoundries’ (GF) creation of the GF Kolkata Power Center in Kolkata”. This center is expected to “enhance mutually beneficial linkages in research and development in chip manufacturing and enable game-changing advances for zero and low emission as well as connected vehicles, internet of things devices, AI, and data centers”.

https://www.hindustantimes.com/indi...st-national-security-fab-101727004516995.html

 

[Ashwin]

TaiwanPlus takes an exclusive look inside 3rdiTech, one of seven chip design firms picked by the Indian government to lead the country's push towards semiconductor self-sufficiency.

 

[Asterion Moloc]

With US military support, India to get its first national security fab

Biden and Modi hail ‘watershed agreement’; Fab will supply chips to US and Indian defence forces; India says it showcases success of startups globally.

By Prashant Jha
Sep 22, 2024, 07:13 PM IST
View attachment 36455
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Joe Biden ahead of the Quad Leaders' Summit in Wilmington on Saturday. (ANI).

Delaware/New York: In a pathbreaking agreement with the US, India is all set to get its first national security semiconductor fabrication plant that will supply chips to the US armed forces, its allied militaries, and Indian defence forces. The fab will be set up in India in 2025 and will be called Shakti.

In the joint factsheet released after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s meeting with President Joe Biden in Delaware, the first paragraph in the section on charting a technology partnership for the future said that Biden and Modi “hailed a watershed arrangement to establish a new semiconductor fabrication plant focused on advanced sensing, communication, and power electronics for national security, next generation telecommunications, and green energy applications”.

The factsheet added that the fab will be established with the objective “of manufacturing infrared, gallium nitride and silicon carbide semiconductor”, and will be enabled by the India Semiconductor Mission and a “strategic technology partnership between Bharat Semi, 3rdiTech, and the U.S. Space Force”.

Behind that statement lies a story of remarkable convergence. The US national security establishment has trusted an Indian start-up, led by two young entrepreneurs, Vinayak Dalmia and Vrinda Kapoor, with technology to produce chips that will then feed into America’s security infrastructure as well as that of its allies such as United Kingdom. The startup, 3rdiTech, is collaborating with General Atomics, a US defence major, on a series of significant projects to boost defence technology capacity in India.

The roots of the collaboration go back to the launch of the initiative on critical and emerging technologies (iCET) in January 2023, and more definitively, Modi’s state visit to US in June 2023. Kapoor participated in the tech CEOs roundtable with Modi and Biden. The joint statement then had said, “The U.S. Department of Defense’s Space Force has signed its first International Cooperative Research and Development Agreement with Indian start-up 114 AI and 3rdiTech. Both companies will work with General Atomics to co-develop components using cutting edge technologies in AI and semiconductors respectively.”

At a press briefing held around midnight on Saturday eastern time, bleeding into the early hours of Sunday, soon after Modi landed in New York from Delaware, HT asked foreign secretary Vikram Misri, who also dealt with iCET in his previous role as deputy NSA, about the significance of the announcement, the technology transfer from the US Space Force, and whether this was India’s first national security fab.

Misri said, “The Indian company in this case, 3rdiTech, is a pioneering company and it has been working for the last few years in close cooperation with government of India entities and US entities…What this represents is first the increasing design and manufacturing capacities that are latent in India’s semiconductor sector. We have always been known as a repository of design talent in so far as semiconductors are concerned. But this shows we are breaking into the fabrication part of it and with the right support, right incentives and right access to technology and partnerships from outside, Indian startups can actually make a global mark.”

Misri added that in this case, there were “obviously national security elements” involved on both sides. “There will be applications of the products in national security areas. Whether you can call it a national security fab, I will leave the labeling and adjectives to you. But yes I would say this is an enormously encouraging development. And we are sure there are many more startups that are capable of reproducing what these companies involved in this particular venture have done.”

According to documents reviewed by HT, this will be the first “multichip military fab” in the world. The advanced sensing infrared chips will be used for night vision, missile seekers, space sensors, weapon sights, soldier hand held sights, and drones. The advanced power electronic chips are to be used in satellites, drones, fighter aircrafts, high altitude pseudo satellites, electric vehicles, renewable energy, data centers, and railway engines. And advanced communication radio frequency chips will be used in military communication, satellite communication, electronic warfare jammers, radar and 5G/6G telecom. The manufacturers aim to produce 50,000 units every year to start with in phase 1. The fab will employ 700 people.

With an ambition to build India’s first home grown Integrated Device Manufacturer, the companies will invest in a knowledge center, called Saraswati, which will train 100 people per year. And this will be supplemented by a design center, called Durga, with 250 people.

Those familiar with India’s semiconductor journey and negotiations that preceded the announcement hail it as a landmark moment that gives yet another massive boost to the semiconductor ecosystem. A US-India partnership on these extremely critical and controlled technologies makes India one of the few countries in the world to have the capacity to manufacture these chips.

The combination of central and state government support for the sector, the existing design skill, the recognition among partners that India and particular Indian companies have the tenacity and scale to emerge as a hub for the sector and add value at a time when the world is seeking diverse supply chains, and the strong support of the US national security establishment has come together to give the industry a huge boost.

Commenting on the agreement, Konark Bhandari of Carnegie India, who is a leading authority on the subject, said that while the details regarding the fab are scarce at the moment, it was a welcome step. “The ability to work in a trusted way with other countries and their suppliers, will be key for India, and for any other country, to position itself as a viable location for semiconductor operations. Even the 2022 US CHIPS and Science Act has been predicated on funding being allowed for a ‘Secure Enclave’ project. This project is intended to create a specialised facility to make chips for the defence establishment in the US.”

Bhandari said that the fact that it was a “compound semiconductors fab” was forward-looking move. “This is important when you consider that compound semiconductors, essentially semiconductors made from two or more elements from the periodic table, show a lot of potential for growth. Compound semiconductors such as silicon carbide (SiC) or gallium nitride (GaN) are particularly well-suited for applications requiring high-power electronics. High-power electronics are being used increasingly in the renewable energy industry, among others, and are excellent in providing efficiency.”

The joint factsheet has another announcement in the semiconductor space. Biden and Modi praised “combined efforts to facilitate resilient, secure, and sustainable semiconductor supply chains including through GlobalFoundries’ (GF) creation of the GF Kolkata Power Center in Kolkata”. This center is expected to “enhance mutually beneficial linkages in research and development in chip manufacturing and enable game-changing advances for zero and low emission as well as connected vehicles, internet of things devices, AI, and data centers”.

https://www.hindustantimes.com/indi...st-national-security-fab-101727004516995.html

2 years back press release:

GA-ASI has been working closely with the team at 3rdiTech since 2021. This announcement comes as the two companies are beginning to co-design and co-develop products. This represents a large shift from today’s landscape that is dominated by Technology Transfer from U.S. to Indian companies. GA-ASI’s collaboration with 3rdiTech paves the way for products designed and developed in India to make it to the global supply chain.

GA-ASI and 3rdiTech Announce Joint Strategic Partnership for Cutting-Edge Semiconductor Technologies

In a big boost to the “Make in India” initiative, GA-ASI announces a strategic partnership with Indian start-up company 3rdiTech.

www.ga.com

good to see progress on that front

 

[Parthu]

With US military support, India to get its first national security fab

Biden and Modi hail ‘watershed agreement’; Fab will supply chips to US and Indian defence forces; India says it showcases success of startups globally.

By Prashant Jha
Sep 22, 2024, 07:13 PM IST
View attachment 36455
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Joe Biden ahead of the Quad Leaders' Summit in Wilmington on Saturday. (ANI).

Delaware/New York: In a pathbreaking agreement with the US, India is all set to get its first national security semiconductor fabrication plant that will supply chips to the US armed forces, its allied militaries, and Indian defence forces. The fab will be set up in India in 2025 and will be called Shakti.

In the joint factsheet released after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s meeting with President Joe Biden in Delaware, the first paragraph in the section on charting a technology partnership for the future said that Biden and Modi “hailed a watershed arrangement to establish a new semiconductor fabrication plant focused on advanced sensing, communication, and power electronics for national security, next generation telecommunications, and green energy applications”.

The factsheet added that the fab will be established with the objective “of manufacturing infrared, gallium nitride and silicon carbide semiconductor”, and will be enabled by the India Semiconductor Mission and a “strategic technology partnership between Bharat Semi, 3rdiTech, and the U.S. Space Force”.

Behind that statement lies a story of remarkable convergence. The US national security establishment has trusted an Indian start-up, led by two young entrepreneurs, Vinayak Dalmia and Vrinda Kapoor, with technology to produce chips that will then feed into America’s security infrastructure as well as that of its allies such as United Kingdom. The startup, 3rdiTech, is collaborating with General Atomics, a US defence major, on a series of significant projects to boost defence technology capacity in India.

The roots of the collaboration go back to the launch of the initiative on critical and emerging technologies (iCET) in January 2023, and more definitively, Modi’s state visit to US in June 2023. Kapoor participated in the tech CEOs roundtable with Modi and Biden. The joint statement then had said, “The U.S. Department of Defense’s Space Force has signed its first International Cooperative Research and Development Agreement with Indian start-up 114 AI and 3rdiTech. Both companies will work with General Atomics to co-develop components using cutting edge technologies in AI and semiconductors respectively.”

At a press briefing held around midnight on Saturday eastern time, bleeding into the early hours of Sunday, soon after Modi landed in New York from Delaware, HT asked foreign secretary Vikram Misri, who also dealt with iCET in his previous role as deputy NSA, about the significance of the announcement, the technology transfer from the US Space Force, and whether this was India’s first national security fab.

Misri said, “The Indian company in this case, 3rdiTech, is a pioneering company and it has been working for the last few years in close cooperation with government of India entities and US entities…What this represents is first the increasing design and manufacturing capacities that are latent in India’s semiconductor sector. We have always been known as a repository of design talent in so far as semiconductors are concerned. But this shows we are breaking into the fabrication part of it and with the right support, right incentives and right access to technology and partnerships from outside, Indian startups can actually make a global mark.”

Misri added that in this case, there were “obviously national security elements” involved on both sides. “There will be applications of the products in national security areas. Whether you can call it a national security fab, I will leave the labeling and adjectives to you. But yes I would say this is an enormously encouraging development. And we are sure there are many more startups that are capable of reproducing what these companies involved in this particular venture have done.”

According to documents reviewed by HT, this will be the first “multichip military fab” in the world. The advanced sensing infrared chips will be used for night vision, missile seekers, space sensors, weapon sights, soldier hand held sights, and drones. The advanced power electronic chips are to be used in satellites, drones, fighter aircrafts, high altitude pseudo satellites, electric vehicles, renewable energy, data centers, and railway engines. And advanced communication radio frequency chips will be used in military communication, satellite communication, electronic warfare jammers, radar and 5G/6G telecom. The manufacturers aim to produce 50,000 units every year to start with in phase 1. The fab will employ 700 people.

With an ambition to build India’s first home grown Integrated Device Manufacturer, the companies will invest in a knowledge center, called Saraswati, which will train 100 people per year. And this will be supplemented by a design center, called Durga, with 250 people.

Those familiar with India’s semiconductor journey and negotiations that preceded the announcement hail it as a landmark moment that gives yet another massive boost to the semiconductor ecosystem. A US-India partnership on these extremely critical and controlled technologies makes India one of the few countries in the world to have the capacity to manufacture these chips.

The combination of central and state government support for the sector, the existing design skill, the recognition among partners that India and particular Indian companies have the tenacity and scale to emerge as a hub for the sector and add value at a time when the world is seeking diverse supply chains, and the strong support of the US national security establishment has come together to give the industry a huge boost.

Commenting on the agreement, Konark Bhandari of Carnegie India, who is a leading authority on the subject, said that while the details regarding the fab are scarce at the moment, it was a welcome step. “The ability to work in a trusted way with other countries and their suppliers, will be key for India, and for any other country, to position itself as a viable location for semiconductor operations. Even the 2022 US CHIPS and Science Act has been predicated on funding being allowed for a ‘Secure Enclave’ project. This project is intended to create a specialised facility to make chips for the defence establishment in the US.”

Bhandari said that the fact that it was a “compound semiconductors fab” was forward-looking move. “This is important when you consider that compound semiconductors, essentially semiconductors made from two or more elements from the periodic table, show a lot of potential for growth. Compound semiconductors such as silicon carbide (SiC) or gallium nitride (GaN) are particularly well-suited for applications requiring high-power electronics. High-power electronics are being used increasingly in the renewable energy industry, among others, and are excellent in providing efficiency.”

The joint factsheet has another announcement in the semiconductor space. Biden and Modi praised “combined efforts to facilitate resilient, secure, and sustainable semiconductor supply chains including through GlobalFoundries’ (GF) creation of the GF Kolkata Power Center in Kolkata”. This center is expected to “enhance mutually beneficial linkages in research and development in chip manufacturing and enable game-changing advances for zero and low emission as well as connected vehicles, internet of things devices, AI, and data centers”.

https://www.hindustantimes.com/indi...st-national-security-fab-101727004516995.html

Looks like the fab will be making chips exclusively for domestic consumption + INDOPAC customers (US/Japan/Australia) in national security applications.

WIll be interesting to see what kind of process node they'll be going for.

@randomradio @Gautam @BMD @Optimist