U.S. consortia await semiconductor policy

The Indian Semiconductor Association (ISA) has asked the Central Government to come out with a comprehensive policy on the semiconductor industry as several industries are waiting to see the benefits on the policy front before firming up their plans to invest in the country.

ISA President, Poornima Shenoy, who was here on Wednesday, told that the policy should be fiscal incentive-driven on the lines of those offered in countries like China, Taiwan and Israel. Two U.S.-based consortia headed by Indians were looking to invest in India, but they were waiting for the policy to be announced before announcing concrete investment plans. "Though we had been hearing about a comprehensive semiconductor policy for some time now, it is not clear as to what it is going to be," Ms. Shenoy said. The ISA had submitted a comprehensive document prepared by independent consultants based on the experiences of the semiconductor manufacturing nations and a favourable consideration of the recommendations would have an impact on several areas.

The association, on its part, had initiated several programmes for creating awareness on the potential of the semiconductor industry. "One has to understand that the logical career for electrical and electronics engineers should be semiconductor industry," she said. Keeping in view the lack of proper research and development in the semiconductor area, it had decided to institute a technovision award for semiconductor research to encourage research in the new segment.