Chip manufacturing proposals worth $8-12 bn in pipeline: IT Minister

New Delhi : Under the government's capex-linked incentive scheme for the chip industry, at least three semiconductor units, including packaging and fabrication, are expected to generate $8 billion to $12 billion in cumulative investment in the coming months, Union IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said on Tuesday.

Vaishnaw, during a fireside chat with AMD India head Jaya Jagadish during the inauguration of the semiconductor design firm's largest global design centre in Bengaluru, said that India would receive at least three more units, fabricating advanced technologies of chips in the country in the next few months, reports Moneycontrol.

"Our focus has been on creating the ecosystem and making sure to get the first few units right so that the confidence in the country’s ability to develop this new industry grows," he added.

He further mentioned that they can see "at least two very good proposals for fabrication and OSAT (Outsourced Semiconductor Assembly and Test) in the coming few months".

Vaishnaw pointed out that this sector, which is new to the country, will contribute heavily to the region's electronics, telecommunications, and Defence industries, the report mentioned.

Earlier, the IT Minister said that the unveiling of chip-maker AMD’s largest global design centre in India, that plans to host approximately 3,000 engineers in coming years, is a testament to the confidence global companies have in India.

The 500,000-square-foot campus in Bengaluru is focused on the design and development of semiconductor technology including 3D stacking, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning and more.