Tata Electronics’ Upcoming Fab To Enable Prototype Chip Production For Indian Startups

Adding to the regulatory push to further build the prowess of India’s semiconductor industry, Union minister for electronics and IT Ashwini Vaishnaw announced that Tata Electronics’ upcoming semiconductor fabrication plant in Dholera will aid Indian semiconductor startups to build prototype chips. Once operational, the support from the plant will add on to the assistance already provided via the state-run Semiconductor Laboratory (SCL) in Mohali. During his interaction with semiconductor chip design companies operating under the Semicon India Programme, the Minister informed that the upcoming facility will be used for chip “tape-outs”, the stage where a chip’s final design is sent to a fabrication unit to produce early samples for testing and validation. At present, most Indian startups rely on overseas fabs like Taiwan’s TSMC and US-based GlobalFoundries for tape-outs. The export of the fabrication process raises costs, increases turnaround time and limits startups’ ability to improve their designs. The Dholera plant will support chip designs in the 28-90 nm range. In comparison, SCL Mohali currently operates at the 180 nm node, which restricts startups from working on relatively newer and more commercially relevant designs. Vaishnaw said that together, the two facilities would cover a large share of the chips used…  ​Read MoreInc42 Media