Infineon Plans to Double India Workforce, Strengthen R&D by 2030

German semiconductor giant Infineon Technologies is set to double its India headcount to 5,000 by 2030, focusing primarily on research and development (R&D). Despite expanding its presence, the company has no immediate plans for manufacturing in India, a senior official confirmed.

Andreas Urschitz, Chief Marketing Officer and Management Board Member at Infineon, stated that the company currently employs 2,500 professionals in India, with a strong emphasis on R&D. Infineon, a key supplier of automobile chips, has over 58,000 employees worldwide, the majority based in the APAC region.

“We are driving innovation in India and plan to significantly expand our R&D presence here. By 2030, we aim to double our workforce in India,” Urschitz said. However, he clarified that Infineon has no near-term plans for manufacturing in India but remains open to the possibility depending on the growth of India’s semiconductor ecosystem and geopolitical factors.

This indicates that Infineon is unlikely to participate in the $10 billion India Semiconductor Mission, which has already attracted $18 billion in investments. The Tata-PSMC fab, a major semiconductor project valued at $11 billion, is among five semiconductor initiatives approved under this scheme. Other key projects include assembly and testing plants by Micron Technology, Tata Group, Murugappa Group (CG Power & Renesas), and Kaynes Semicon.

Instead of manufacturing, Infineon is focusing on partnerships with Indian firms. It recently signed an agreement with Mohali-based CDIL Semiconductors, where Infineon will supply bare die wafers that CDIL will package and sell under its brand. Additionally, Infineon has entered into a similar partnership with Kaynes Semicon.

Meanwhile, the Indian government is developing the second phase of the India Semiconductor Mission, with a $15 billion blueprint aimed at supporting raw materials, equipment, gases, and specialty chemicals for chip manufacturing. The first phase, launched in December 2021, had an outlay of $10 billion to kickstart India’s semiconductor industry.

Source: Indian Express