India Needs Hundreds of Chip Companies for Global Ecosystem: L&T Semicon CEO

Sandeep Kumar, CEO of L&T Semiconductor Technologies (LTSCT), stated at the Semicon India 2026 event that India needs hundreds of semiconductor companies to build a globally competitive chip ecosystem. Kumar emphasized that it is difficult for a single company to cover the breadth of the global semiconductor market, and therefore, the ecosystem's growth lies in the emergence of multiple Indian chip companies rather than the monopolization by a select few.

While India has developed capabilities in digital and compute technologies, analog and mixed-signal design, and radio frequency technologies, the country still has gaps in system architecture, high-power semiconductors, memory, optics, and manufacturing. Kumar identified system architecture, which involves understanding customer requirements and designing products around market needs, as a larger gap than chip architecture, partly because Indian engineers have historically had less direct exposure to global end customers.

During the event, L&T unveiled 40 semiconductor products, including its first silicon carbide (SiC) product platform and a fully designed-in-India BLDC motor controller. The company's 1,200V SiC MOSFET platform is designed for applications such as EV fast chargers, microgrids, and traction inverters. The BLDC motor controller is aimed at energy-efficient ceiling fans.

LTSCT's portfolio also includes a vision camera SoC with on-device AI acceleration, a secure identity platform, and connectivity modules for smart metering and digital payments. The Semicon India event highlighted the need to strengthen the entire value chain and close gaps in advanced packaging and manufacturing.