Date:08/06/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/06/08/stories/2006060804940800.htm

Andhra Pradesh

New semiconductor policy soon: Maran

Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD: Union Minister for IT and Communications Dayanidhi Maran on Wednesday said the Centre would shortly come out with a comprehensive policy for encouraging semiconductor industry, including provision of incentives and special packages.

"It is only a matter of weeks before the policy is announced," Mr. Maran said at a function where Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy laid the foundation stone for the $ 3 billion Sem India's Fab City project near here.

Mr. Maran said as part of the policy the Centre was actively considering providing viability gap funding for setting up semiconductor wafer fabrication units, flat panel displays and other storage devices to give a fillip to the industry.

He said there was delay in finalising the policy relating to semiconductor industry as the sector "is new to the country." The electronic consumption was projected to touch $ 350 billion by 2015 and the country would need to import more than $ 40 billion semiconductor components by then. In addition to generating huge revenues, the hardware sector was set to provide nine million jobs for unskilled and semi-skilled workers once the component industry was established. The Government had, therefore, announced a new foreign trade policy to unshackle controls and usher in an open regulatory environment. Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, who unveiled the foundation plaque at Hotel Kakatiya Sheraton, said the upcoming Fab City would be the nucleus for the development and manufacture of semiconductors in the country. However, there was need for the Central Government to announce the semiconductor policy providing for incentives and capital to the industry.