Japanese chipmakers scout for Indian design partners

Trade officials from Japan's Kyushu Island, home to 650 semiconductor-related companies, are seeking software design partners in southern India.

Hajime Tomokage, president of the Asia Semiconductor Trading Support Association, said Aug. 12 the Japanese team visited half a dozen Indian companies in Bangalore and Chennai. He said Indian partners would also benefit from the Japanese chipmakers' manufacturing capabilities.

About 6 percent of global IC production takes place in Kyushu, widely known as the Silicon Island. The region has 20 wafer process and fabrication facilities. Partnering with companies in the region would be a natural fit for India's growing chip and embedded design services industry, Tomokage said.

"We can access much more complete software engineering skills, from design to development, in India. The skills we have seen here [impressed] us much more than the skills we have seen in Dalian [China], where some of our companies have software centers," Tomokage said.

Japanese chipmakers could potentially offer far more design business to companies here while Indian firms could establish bases in Japan, where there is a shortage of design centers and engineers. India's design strengths matched up well with Japan's manufacturing model, so both sides could expand their chip operations, he added.

Satyam Computer, KPIT Cummins and L&T Infotech are among the companies visited so far by the Japanese team. It also plans to established links with the India Semiconductor Association to promote closer cooperation, Tomokage said. Along with chip ventures, he added that the Kyushu companies are also interested in cooperating on planned solar energy ventures in India.

- K.C. Krishnadas
EE Times