Mitsubishi Electric Semiconductor & Device Division (SDD) offers a broad portfolio of semiconductor and electronic devices that provide: advanced information processing and telecommunications, highly efficient power production from both traditional and renewable energy sources, smart grids that distribute power more effectively, hybrid and electric vehicles that change commuting, efficient industrial and automation applications that lower equipment costs while improving reliability, and groundbreaking efficiency gains in home appliances that reduce the cost of living and reduce the harmful impact on our environment. Here is the interview with Mr. Hitesh Bhardwaj, General Manager, Semiconductor & Devices, Mitsubishi Electric India Pvt. Ltd shares his views on semiconductor market and its growth.
Indian semiconductor industry has been evolving over the years. What potential impact do you see it making locally and globally in the next 10 years?
Transformational and structural changes is bound to happen at multiple levels. Mitsubishi Electric has already taken a step towards contributing the mass scale shifting to electric vehicles a reality. The company launched J-Series power semiconductor module, in different packages such as transfer moulded (T-PM) & integrated fin type, mainly for motor drive applications in electric and hybrid vehicles. It is known that automotive components must especially meet stringent safety standards, which creates demands for power semiconductor modules that provide greater reliability than modules for industrial equipment.
Mitsubishi Electric is also receiving a strong support from its customers in the areas of traction and utility solar locally in India. We are consistently working upon the opportunity to ensure a better experience for our Customers in India Market. We are channelizing and strategized the business development activities in three phases i.e. Immediate, mid-term and long-term phase in India. In Immediate Business opportunity we will continue to focus on traction, utility solar, solar power and consumer durables. For mid-term phase, we are channelizing our best efforts in getting the Design for emerging segments of EV Charger, EV Traction, Medical and for long term along with the Growth of above mentioned Segment we are looking forward in contributing in High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) and Space for High Frequency (HF) & Optical Devices (OPTO). On the Product side our regular checks and development will be on Dual in line packaged intelligent power module (DIPIPM), Industrial Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor (IGBT) and most importantly, X Series HVIGBT for various Applications.
How will the introduction of SPECS by the government help Mitsubishi Electric?
Scheme for Promotion of Manufacturing of Electronic Components and Semiconductors (SPECS) introduced in April 2020, is aimed to offer monetary stimulus of 25% of capital expenditure for the manufacturing of goods that form the supply chain of electronic goods.
This is a welcome step from the government and will help in strengthening of the Make in India initiative. Mitsubishi Electric will evaluate these proposals offered by Govt of India to the Component Manufacturers of the Industry and suitable response will be implemented in commensurate with Mitsubishi Electric japan Strategic Goals.
What is your opinion on the semiconductor industry in India? Do you think that lack of skilled resources is impacting the growth of industry?
The Indian semiconductor industry offers high growth potential areas as the industries which source semiconductors as inputs are themselves witnessing high demand. The end-use industries such as mobile devices, telecommunication equipment, information technology, office automation (IT & OA), industrial machinery, automobiles and several other industries have applications in some form or other and thereby necessarily have growing demand for semiconductors. Now with the concept of Internet of Things (IoT) picking up momentum, the next generation of interconnected devices would further increase the demand, thereby creating sustainable demand for semiconductors.
For the industry to grow, it is important that more students are employable and aware of the needs. Today, students are not getting access to the state of the art tools and technologies and therefore the industry spent time and cost on training them which in turn provides industry a slower growth and that slow or loss of growth is creating more problem for the development of electronic industry in the country so it is important that we focus on creating a strong foundation to get more employable and skilled students.
What is the scenario of job opportunities in the semiconductor industry in India? How is it different from its global counterparts?
India is a strong end market for semiconductor-based products. Home appliances, Renewable energy, Power Supply/UPS, Automotive, SiC Applications, LCD display etc. are becoming more pervasive in the society. The growing demand for IT hardware, office automation products and consumer electronics products are continuing to drive the demand for semiconductors in India.
Being a knowledge-intensive sector, the semiconductor industry requires a large pool of engineering talent. The biggest regional competency of India is the availability of high quality and extremely cost competitive engineering talent. Put together, this means that India will continue to be a strong job market for this sector. The growth of the Indian semiconductor design market is expected to lead to an increase in the number of engineers employed by this segment.
What are your growth plans in the field of semiconductors and devices?
Mitsubishi Electric has witnessed strong growth in the past few years and the encouraging market trends have motivated us to aim for a further accelerated growth in the coming years. As the economy is evolving further, we will keep on developing and introducing new products and solutions for the market to support its growth.
Starting this July, Mitsubishi Electric is set to launch N-series 1200V SiC-MOSFET (silicon-carbide metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor) features including low power consumption and miniaturization of power-supply systems requiring high voltage conversion such as electric vehicle (EV) on-board chargers, photovoltaic power systems, etc.
