IIT-Hyderabad joins initiative for IP design start-ups

Kandi: A unique 'Semiconductor Startup Incubation and Acceleration Program' is being launched by the collaboration of Indian Institute of Technology-Hyderabad, Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY) and NXP India.

The programme aims to locate, facilitate, and mentor semiconductor and IP design start-ups in India in both, technological as well as business aspects. As many as five promising start-ups will be incubated for a period of two years in each cohort every year.

The participants will include Semiconductor Chip Design, IP Design, Design Services startups with an IP focus and Chip Design Tool related startups.

NXP India is among the biggest R&D centres for NXP Semiconductors and a world leader in secure connectivity solutions for embedded applications.

Highlighting the uniqueness of the FabCI, BS Murty, Director of IITH, said, "The endeavours carried out by IIT Hyderabad under the aegis of MeitY to set up Fabless chip design Incubator (FabCI) are a building block of this program. FabCI is an unique incubator that provides free access to highly expensive EDA tools and prototyping, apart from the basic infrastructure."

The local hardware designing and manufacturing of products will strengthen the core technology-driven system pillar vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat and in turn boost India's economy, generate employment, and enhance India's position globally in the electronics industry by moving up in the value chain, the statement said.

Lars Reger, Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, NXP Semiconductors, said, "The next decade will be all about creating a world that anticipates and automates with smart connected systems around us.

All of that will lead into making the planet a better world to live in and fun to innovate in. These smart connected systems have a core semiconductor technology.

In that context, I see the Semiconductor Startup Incubation and Acceleration program can bring the core impetus to the strengthening of fabless semiconductor design in India and I am very excited and looking forward to seeing the outcomes with this programme."

Ajay Sawhney, Secretary, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), said that it is a significant step as India is poised to increase its share in innovation-driven global manufacturing of mobile phones, IT hardware, automotive, industrial and medical electronics, IoT and other devices.