Intel CEO Urges Return of Indian Engineers to Fuel Semiconductor Manufacturing Boom
In a bid to bolster India's burgeoning semiconductor industry, Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan has called for initiatives to encourage Indian chip design experts working abroad to return home. This comes as Intel strengthens its commitment to supporting India's Semiconductor Mission, aligning with the Indian government's comprehensive policy for semiconductor design and manufacturing.
Tan, during a recent interview, emphasized India's unique potential to flourish in both artificial intelligence (AI) and semiconductors, highlighting the pivotal role that returning Indian engineers could play in accelerating the country's progress in these sectors. He believes that bringing back elite chip design experts from overseas could be a "game-changer" for India's semiconductor industry.
This call to action coincides with Intel's deepening engagement with India's semiconductor ambitions. Recently, Intel formalized a strategic alliance with the Tata Group, a major Indian conglomerate, to explore manufacturing and packaging of Intel products for the local market at Tata Electronics' upcoming facilities. The collaboration extends to advanced packaging in India and the development of custom AI PC solutions tailored for the Indian market.
The partnership with Tata Group is a significant step towards realizing India's vision of becoming a global chip hub. Tata is investing heavily in semiconductor initiatives, including establishing India's first semiconductor fabrication plant in Gujarat and a chip assembly and testing facility in Assam. This commitment, valued at around $14 billion, aims to create a robust semiconductor ecosystem in India, reducing reliance on imported components.
Intel's collaboration with Tata is multifaceted. It includes exploring opportunities to manufacture and package Intel products locally, focusing on consumer and enterprise hardware enablement, and jointly developing AI PC solutions. By leveraging Intel's AI compute reference designs and Tata Electronics' manufacturing capabilities, the partnership seeks to capture a significant share of India's rapidly growing AI market, projected to be among the world's top five by 2030.
The Intel-Tata alliance has been lauded as a major boost for the India Semiconductor Mission (ISM), launched in 2021 with a financial outlay of approximately $10 billion. The ISM aims to create a comprehensive semiconductor ecosystem in India, encompassing design, manufacturing, and testing.
Intel's CEO, Lip-Bu Tan, met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss Intel's deeper role in India's chip push. Tan applauded the Prime Minister's comprehensive semiconductor design and manufacturing policy and affirmed Intel's commitment to supporting the India Semiconductor Mission. Prime Minister Modi expressed confidence that Intel's involvement would foster an innovation-driven future for India's youth and create a robust electronic component ecosystem.
While Intel has had a presence in India for nearly four decades, its focus is now shifting towards local manufacturing and assembly. The company's partnership with Tata Group signals a strategic move to leverage India's growing market and contribute to its ambition of becoming a global semiconductor hub.
