India Needs Hundreds Of Chip Companies To Build Global Ecosystem: L&T Semicon CEO

“India will need hundreds of semiconductor companies to build a globally competitive chip ecosystem, as the country looks to move beyond setting up fabs and develop capabilities across the wider value chain”, Sandeep Kumar, CEO, L&T Semiconductor Technologies (LTSCT), reportedly said during at the Semicon India 2026 today.

As per a report by PTI, Kumar highlighted how it is difficult for a single company to address the breadth of the global semiconductor market. Thus, he believes that the ecosystem’s growth lies in the emergence of multiple Indian chip companies rather than monopolisation of a select few companies.

India has developed capabilities in digital and compute technologies, analogue and mixed-signal design, and radio frequency technologies. However, it still has gaps in system architecture, high-power semiconductors, memory, optics and manufacturing. 

He said system architecture, which is understanding customer requirements and designing products around market needs, is a bigger gap than chip architecture, partly because Indian engineers have historically had less direct exposure to global end customers.

During the event, L&T unveiled 40 semiconductor products at the conference, including its first silicon carbide (SiC) product platform and a fully designed-in-India BLDC motor controller.

The company’s 1,200V SiC MOSFET platform is designed for applications including EV fast chargers, microgrids, solid-state transformers and traction inverters. Its BLDC motor controller is aimed at energy-efficient ceiling fans and is designed to serve multiple models while reducing bill-of-materials costs.

LTSCT’s portfolio also includes a vision camera SoC with on-device AI acceleration, a secure identity platform for applications such as e-passports and payment cards, and connectivity modules for smart metering, automotive and digital payments.

SEMICON India Shifts Focus To Ecosystem

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the fifth edition of Semicon India in Delhi on Thursday (September 17). The first day saw Applied Materials commit $5 Bn through 2035, while the government announced around ₹1 Lakh Cr in investment commitments under Semicon 2.0.

As part of the next steps, MeitY Secretary S Krishnan said India now has semiconductor production at six locations and that Semicon 2.0 will focus on closing gaps in advanced packaging, industry-linked R&D and manufacturing talent. 

Meanwhile, foreign secretary Vikram Misri said India does not need to replicate the entire global semiconductor supply chain domestically, but should focus on building sovereign capabilities in strategically important areas such as chip design and packaging, while partnering with trusted global players for other parts of the value chain. 

Separately, the government has introduced tighter conditions for companies receiving incentives under Semicon 2.0, barring them from selling or mortgaging supported projects until they achieve full commercial production and requiring them to maintain operations for at least three years thereafter; promoters must also retain at least 51% equity and voting rights during the support period.

Meanwhile, global semiconductor giant Micron said it expects its Sanand facility to process hundreds of millions of chips in 2027, up from tens of millions this year. The plant is already in commercial production, processing DRAM and NAND wafers shipped from Micron’s global manufacturing network and sending finished products to customers worldwide. 

On the domestic front, Tata Electronics said its Dholera fab and Assam packaging facility’s operational timelines are on schedule. During the event yesterday, the company also entered a strategic partnership with Netherland-based Nexperia under which Nexperia’s MOSFETs will be manufactured at Tata’s upcoming Dholera fab, while its discrete chips will be assembled and tested at Tata’s Jagiroad facility. 

The partnership comes as the Dutch chipmaker seeks to diversify its manufacturing footprint amid an ongoing rift with Chinese parent Wingtech. Its partnership with Tata Electronics will now give it a manufacturing foothold in India, spanning wafer fabrication in Dholera and assembly and testing in Assam.

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