BANGALORE, INDIA: B.V. Naidu, managing director, SemIndia Systems, and Vice Chairman - India Semiconductor Association (ISA), comments on the FabCity, status of fabs in India and SemIndia's initiatives in an exclusive with CIOL. Excerpts:

CIOL: What is the status of setting up of IC wafer fabs in India?

BV Naidu: Couple of companies are in the process of raising the money for setting up the wafer fab in India. We still do not know the timelines for the same.

CIOL: There have been reports that India's fab story is disappearing. How much truth is there in this comment?

BVN: It is always difficult to raise the money for such large capital-intensive projects, which are happening first time in the country. One of the large industrial groups also announced their plans to set-up the fab.  This shows that the fab story is not disappearing.

CIOL: The Andhra state government recently sent notices to SemIndia and NanoTech over FabCity. What's going on right now with the projects?

BVN: Any capital-intensive new projects of this kind will take some time. It is also quite natural that the government generally issues such notices more to put pressure to expedite the project implementation. It is good that the governments are closely monitoring the progress of the project implementation.

SemIndia’s ATMP project construction has started. FabCity has already come-up and many solar PV fabs are being set-up in the FabCity.  This shows that efforts of SemIndia, ISA and the government of AP have yielded the successful results to make FabCity a successful project.

CIOL: How can ISA help turn this situation around and ensure things are on track?
 
BVN: ISA can only indicate that such government communications are common for wherever there is government support. The ISA will continuously put in their efforts for attracting the new investments to India and work along with the governments to make sure that their efforts are fruitful.

CIOL: What is the status with SemIndia? What's happening to the fab it had proposed to set up?

BVN: SemIndia’s ATMP project construction has started and we are still looking for the investors for their fab project.

CIOL: What sort of planning is now required from the Indian semicon industry?

BVN: The Indian semicon industry should continuously work with the government to make sure that the government of India’s semicon policy is successful and efforts are various state governments in attracting the new investments in this area are fruitful.

CIOL: What is going to be the way forward?

BVN: The ISA will continuously strive for creating the balanced eco-system for the semicon design industry, high-tech manufacturing and talent nurturing.