By Venkatakrishnan Mani Iyer

India’s semiconductor landscape is on the cusp of a significant transformation bolstered by the immense potential of GenAI. In particular, GenAI is set to influence the entire value chain of the semiconductor industry, from growth in chip demand to operations, process, and task automation. All this is strengthening India’s emerging tech industry and highly-skilled workforce, positioning the country as a critical player in the global semiconductor space. The adoption of GenAI promises substantial benefits for semiconductor companies:

Chip optimisation: GenAI can create smaller, faster, and more energy-efficient chip layouts. Chip makers such as AMD are using GenAI to design chips specifically optimised for solar power inverters, improving efficiency and reducing reliance on fossil fuels.

Smart manufacturing: GenAI is used to supercharge different aspects of semiconductor creation, with transformative effects on everything from iterating to prototyping and manufacturing.

Innovation in design: AI algorithms facilitate innovative design approaches, pushing the boundaries of semiconductor performance and functionality while maintaining energy efficiency and environmental sustainability.

Testing: AI-powered testing can ensure higher quality chips with fewer defects. Modern wafer-inspection systems use deep learning to automatically detect and classify defects with accuracy.

Semiconductor manufacturing: From enhancing quality control through meticulous inspection to predicting equipment maintenance before breakdowns, GenAI is reducing downtime and lowering production costs.

Reducing time to market: By infusing GenAI into R&D processes, companies are now witnessing a huge shift in how quickly innovations move from the drawing board to the market.

A domestic ecosystem

Government estimates project the Indian semiconductor market to reach $80.3 billion by 2028. Initiatives, like dedicated chip parks, attract investments and create advanced-technology jobs. Leading companies are establishing fabrication facilities (fabs) and design centres in India. The government’s programme for development of semiconductors, with an outlay of $10 billion, incentivises setting up semiconductor and display fabs.

However, integrating GenAI with talent acquisition is critical for semiconductor companies to accelerate hiring. Firms like AMD and Intel India are working on real-life projects, establishing labs in IIT-Bombay, and driving industry-academia partnerships to conduct core design and AI training research. GenAI is valuable often in locations that need established semiconductor ecosystems.

India’s embrace of GenAI can meet domestic needs and position the country as a global semiconductor leader. By leveraging its talent pool and technological advancements, India can become a hub for the global semiconductor supply chain.

(The writer is VP & head of manufacturing & life sciences industry, India Business Unit, Capgemini. Views are personal.)