India’s Semicon 2.0 should go beyond chip fabs, focus on design, packaging: Chris Miller

New Delhi: India's Semicon 2.0 strategy should look beyond chip fabrication and focus on areas including chip design, equipment and advanced packaging to create greater value across the semiconductor ecosystem, 'Chip War' author and leading semiconductor expert Chris Miller said in an exclusive interview with ANI.

Miller said India's strategy of focusing on multiple stages of the semiconductor value chain was appropriate, particularly at a time when the global chip industry is undergoing significant changes driven by the rapid expansion of artificial intelligence.

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"I think the strategy is right to focus not only on chip fabrication, but also on design, on equipment, and on packaging," Miller said.

While fabrication remains an important part of semiconductor manufacturing, Miller said governments can sometimes place excessive emphasis on this stage, overlooking other segments that generate substantial value.

"Many governments, I think, focus too much on only the fabrication step. But in reality, a lot of the value in the chip industry is created by other steps, especially design," he said.

Miller pointed to India's existing strength in chip design, noting that hubs such as Hyderabad and Bengaluru are already home to thousands of chip designers working for Indian and multinational companies.

"The biggest change is the boom in investment in artificial intelligence, which has spurred companies like NVIDIA to become among the largest in the semiconductor industry and changed investment patterns across the semiconductor sector," Miller said.

According to Miller, the AI boom has shifted the focus of the industry from smartphones and computers towards data centre applications, better architectures and packaging solutions capable of supporting AI workloads.

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Advanced packaging, in particular, could offer another avenue for India to build capabilities in the semiconductor ecosystem. Miller said the segment, traditionally viewed as low-margin and less R&D-intensive, is changing rapidly as companies increasingly use advanced packaging to improve semiconductor performance.

Miller said India should therefore consider whether it can develop capabilities in advanced packaging, given expectations that significant innovation in semiconductors will emerge from the field.

He also stressed the importance of India's integration into international semiconductor value chains. Citing the experience of South Korea and Taiwan, Miller said successful semiconductor economies first integrated deeply into the global value chain and then invested in specific niches where they could develop technological differentiation.

"It seems to me deep integration into the international value chain is a key to any successful strategy," he said.

For India, this approach could mean combining its existing design talent with investments in manufacturing, equipment and advanced packaging, while developing specialised capabilities that can strengthen its position in the global semiconductor ecosystem.