NXP to invest $1 Billion in India to double down its R&D efforts

NXP will invest more than $1 Billion in India over the next few years. NXP CEO Kurt Sievers said that the planned capital infusion will likely be utilized to double down on the company’s research and development (R&D) efforts.

He added that the Dutch semiconductor design company is in talks with Indian companies in the automotive sector and other sectors to expand its partner base.

"NXP is committed to double its R&D efforts here in the country in the next few years, which is far in excess of a billion dollars," Kurt Sievers said, adding the Dutch company is in talks with the automotive sector and other industries in India.

In India, NXP has four semiconductor design centres and employs almost 3,000 employees. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is the focus area at the local R&D centres for getting into more advanced systems for automotive and other applications.

The company has expressed its intention to apply for the design-linked incentive (DLI) scheme once it becomes available to multinational companies. At  present, the scheme is applicable for startups, with only seven approved to claim incentives. India is currently evaluating the proposal to include large multi-nationals in its $200 million DLI scheme, provided they design chips in India.

Major players like Nvidia, Qualcomm, AMD, Intel and MediaTek too have established substantial research and design centers in India.

"India's contribution of about 20% of chip designing talent to the industry is growing and we are preparing an 85,000-strong semiconductor workforce of technicians, engineers and R&D experts," Prime Minister Modi said at the Semicon India event.

NXP is actively collaborating with India's startup ecosystem, seeking to support companies in their growth phase.

In February, the Indian government approved the construction of three semiconductor plants, valued at Rs 1.26 lakh crore ($15 billion), by companies like Tata Group and CG Power, as part of its efforts to become a leading electronics hub.