NEW DELHI: US-based chipmaker Intel has said that there are several components that need to come together for the entire electronics ecosystem in India, and semiconductor manufacturing is one of them. Prakash Mallya, vice president and general manager of Intel’s sales, marketing and communications group, said the company is “deeply” committed to the market, having invested more than $ 7 billion in the country so far. in design and R&D facilities.

“It’s going to be a trip. Several components must be brought together for the whole ecosystem, and the semiconductor is only one part. And from Intel’s point of view, I would say that when you look at our design and R&D facilities in the country, we are deeply committed to the market. We’ve invested over $ 7 billion and you find this breadth of expertise relevant to every segment, ”Mallya told ET in an interview.

The executive said engineering and design expertise is a very critical part of the semiconductor ecosystem. “And, we are doing it today. And the other part would be that as the ecosystem evolves, our response to that would also progress properly, ”he said when answering the question on India’s plan to bring manufacturing. of semiconductors in the country.

The Indian government plans to provide incentives of up to $ 1 billion per company to semiconductor manufacturing companies. The Center in March sought recommendations from companies that might be interested in setting up semiconductor and display manufacturing units in India.

The proposed incentives could attract 2 or 3 large investments with a cumulative value of 70,000 to 80,000 crore rupees, for the establishment of specialized manufacturing units in India, said Rajeev Khushu, president of India recently. Electronics and Semiconductor Association (IESA). He is also in the service of the American designer and manufacturer of chips Texas Instruments.

In March, Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger said the company would increase its chip business, with the company also committing $ 20 billion to expand manufacturing in the United States. The company has reportedly started talks to acquire semiconductor company GlobalFoundries in a deal that could be valued at $ 30 billion as part of an ongoing campaign to bolster its chipmaking business in states -United and abroad.

“… we made a $ 20 billion commitment of everything we see from a sourcing perspective.” Right now, the existing facilities and what we have planned will take care of that. And we are again deeply committed to India to support growth and develop the ecosystem, ”Mallya said.

The executive said that a localized 5G infrastructure as well as an Internet of Things (IoT) ecosystem for various industries such as healthcare, logistics and retail would drive demand for semiconductors, thus supporting the need for ‘bring manufacturing to the country.

“… as you build that ecosystem over a period of time, you develop more expertise, that’s how you get an ecosystem that thrives and can do more. Right. That’s how I see the trip, ”added Mallya.

Intel recently announced its partnership with Reliance Jio for the latter’s 5G infrastructure in India. Mallya said that Intel and Jio are collaborating in the areas of 5G radio, core, cloud, edge and artificial intelligence.

“… our collaboration covers these areas, and it is co.innovation. Thus, our engineering and business unit teams work closely with Reliance Jio in these areas. And we are committed to helping customers and partners like Reliance Jio move from 4G to 5G, ”he said.

Intel’s investment arm, Intel Capital, had invested Rs 1,894.50 crore in 2020 to buy a 0.39% stake in Jio Platforms.

“I would only say that Reliance Jio, as a customer and partner, is one of the most innovative telecommunications service providers in the world. We are therefore committed to working with them to advance the cause of the evolution from 4G to 5G at the edge, on the network as well as on the cloud, ”he added.