The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : Defence, civilian research work must be coordinated: Minister

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Apr 17, 2006

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Defence, civilian research work must be coordinated: Minister

Special Correspondent

Hyderabad chapter of Indian Semiconductor Association launched

NEW VENTURE: Pallam Raju, Minister for State for Defence greeting Poornima Shenoy, president of India Semi-Conductors Association in Hyderabad on Sunday.

HYDERABAD: Union Minister of State for Defence M.M. Pallam Raju has mooted constituting a body on the lines of the National Institute of Smart Governance to effectively coordinate and channelise the research activities of civilian and defence organisations.

Though civilian and defence institutions were involved in advanced research in core sectors, the good work done in the Government laboratories was not being translated into products quickly. This called for private sector to step in and fill the gap in niche areas.

ISA launch

The Minister was the chief guest at the launch of the Hyderabad chapter of Indian Semiconductor Association (ISA) here on Sunday. He also announced the launch of The Indus Entrepreneurs semi-conductor (special interest group) SIG. Referring to the value-add the Indian entrepreneurs were giving to the software and semiconductor industry, he said since the value addition was being done for the products with IPs abroad, they were entering Indian markets at high costs. In view of this, the Government had taken a bold decision to invest in the hi-tech industry and planned assets like the Fab City.

The industry, on its part, should make sure that the facility was optimally utilised to make products, which were acceptable in world markets. There was also a need for creating infrastructure that should function in a sustainable manner while high-end skills in which "we are often falling short" should be nurtured among the youngsters. "We are not creating high skilled manpower fast enough to meet the demand," he said.

ISA chairman Rajendra Kumar Khare, cited a survey, which predicted that electronic appliances market would grow to $360 billion by 2015 of which $200 billion would be the contribution from VLSI and semiconductor segments. The country would need an edge to tap the market effectively and this could not be achieved without putting in place manufacturing facilities for semiconductors.

Citing the setting up of Fab city, he said the next 12 to 18 months were crucial, as lot of investment would come its way.

IT secretary, K. Ratna Prabha, Conexant India chief operating officer, Naresh Reddy Malipeddi and TiE SIG president, J.A. Chowdary spoke.

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