StartupTalky

Tag: Semiconductors

  • Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang Receives Warning Letter from US Senators

    Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang was warned by US senators about his impending travel to China. They advised him to stay away from businesses that are compromising US export restrictions on chips. There are worries about possible ways to get beyond technological protections.

    Nvidia maintained that their technology was establishing a global norm. Huang had previously attacked US export controls on AI chips. More worries are raised by reports that DeepSeek is aiding China’s military. According to a report, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has received a strong warning from a group of US lawmakers about his impending visit to China.

    Letter by Senators

    Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren and Republican Senator Jim Banks wrote a letter on 11 July urging Huang to avoid meeting with Chinese businesses that have connections to Beijing’s military and intelligence agencies or are suspected of undermining US semiconductor export rules.

    According to a news agency, they also particularly warned against doing business with organisations on the US prohibited export list. Concerning possible circumvention of crucial US technology safeguards, the senators reportedly wrote, “We are concerned that your trip to the PRC could legitimise companies that cooperate closely with the Chinese military or involve discussing exploitable gaps in US export controls.”

    Stressing that such technology could “accelerate the PRC’s effort to modernise its military,” the senators emphasised a consensus on the regulated export of powerful AI hardware.

    Response from Nvidia

    In response to the worries, a representative for Nvidia said that “America wins” when its technology becomes “the global standard.” AI software “should run best on the US technology stack, encouraging nations worldwide to choose America,” the representative said, highlighting China’s large pool of software developers.

    This comes after Jensen Huang called previous limitations a “failure” and openly hailed US President Donald Trump’s move to loosen some export controls on AI chips in May at the Computex trade exhibition in Taipei. Huang had previously calculated that Nvidia’s revenue would drop by $15 billion as a result of the US’s April limitations on the company’s customised AI processors for China.

    According to a media story last month, a senior US source claimed that DeepSeek, an AI company, was aiding China’s military and intelligence activities and had tried to get around US export restrictions on AI chips by using shell corporations. Chinese corporations have reportedly flown to Malaysia to train AI models before returning to China with the findings.

    According to its most recent annual report, Nvidia made $17 billion in revenue from China in the fiscal year that ended on January 26. This accounted for 13% of the company’s total sales. China has continuously been cited by Huang as a crucial market for Nvidia’s expansion.

  • India-Qatar Commerce Expanding Beyond Energy to Include AI and Semiconductors, According to Piyush Goyal

    On February 18, India’s Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal stated that the country wants to expand its commerce with Qatar beyond energy supplies to include semiconductors and artificial intelligence (AI). At the first meeting of the India-Qatar Business Forum on February 18, Goyal stated that while India welcomes energy products from Qatar, he believes that both countries are now looking to the future, with AI, the internet of things, semiconductors, and other technologies replacing energy as the mainstay of their trade.

    Piyush Goyal went on to say that sustainability, technology and entrepreneurship, and energy will be the cornerstones of the future India-Qatar collaboration. The State of Qatar’s Minister of Commerce and Industry, Sheikh Faisal bin Thani bin Faisal Al Thani, was also in attendance at the Forum in New Delhi.

    Signing of MoUs

    The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and the Qatari Businessmen Association (QBA) have inked two Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs); Invest India and Invest Qatar have also signed one. Additionally, Minister Goyal declared that the Joint Working Group on Trade and Commerce would henceforth be at the ministerial level.

    Petroleum goods, plastics, and aluminium products are among the main items that India imports from Qatar, while its exports to Doha include cereals, copper products, iron and steel items, fruits, and vegetables, among other things. As of April–November 2024, India has a $6.9 billion trade deficit with the other country.

    Encouraging Companies from Qatar to Invest in India

    Piyush Goyal also extended an invitation to Qatari businesses to participate in India’s expansion in smart city development, manufacturing, renewable energy, and infrastructure. Goyal went on to say that India’s Viksit Bharat 2047 and Qatar’s Vision 2030 will work together to create a far larger and more promising future for their respective populations. India offers an oasis of stability, predictability, and continuity, Goyal said, adding that the country’s industrial evolution is largely due to its dynamic economy, rich population, reforms, ease of doing business, and quality. Referencing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s remarks, the minister said that confidence in India is more than ever in both major countries and worldwide forums. He also exhorted corporate executives to continue this collaborative and self-assured attitude. He continued by saying that India has a young population, a thriving economy, ongoing reforms, and a strong emphasis on industrial growth and ease of doing business.

    According to Dr. Ahmed Bin Mohammed Al Sayed, Qatar’s Minister of State for Foreign Trade Affairs, the country is eager to broaden its economic connections with India beyond the conventional oil and gas industry, concentrating on new ventures and investments. Dr. Al Sayed emphasised the significance of Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani, the Amir of Qatar, visiting India in an exclusive interview with an Indian media outlet. He underlined that the visit is a reflection of the two countries’ solid strategic collaboration in a number of areas.

    India and US to Deepen Ties in AI, Semiconductors, and Space
    India and the US are strengthening partnerships in AI, semiconductors, and space technology, fostering innovation and strategic collaboration.
    StartupTalkyNitin Konde

  • India and the US Aim to Strengthen Partnerships in AI, Semiconductors, and Space

    After Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Donald Trump met at the White House, India and the US announced significant efforts aimed at promoting collaboration in emerging technologies, artificial intelligence, and civil space. The US-India TRUST program, an AI infrastructure roadmap, and the INDUS Innovation platform to promote collaborations in energy, space, and defence are among the major announcements. In the official statement, the leaders announced the launch of the U.S.-India TRUST (“Transforming the Relationship Utilising Strategic Technology”) initiative, which will encourage the use of verified technology vendors and ensure the protection of sensitive technologies while promoting government-to-government, academic, and private sector collaboration to promote the application of critical and emerging technologies in fields like defence, artificial intelligence, semiconductors, quantum computing, biotechnology, energy, and space. By the end of the year, the business sectors in both nations will present a US-India Roadmap on Accelerating AI Infrastructure as part of this endeavour. With milestones and next steps, this roadmap will outline the obstacles to funding, developing, supplying, and linking extensive AI infrastructure of American provenance in India.

    Along with addressing the safeguards and controls required to protect these technologies and lower regulatory barriers, the two nations will also facilitate industry partnerships and investments in next-generation data centres, collaboration on the development and access to computing and processors for AI, innovations in AI models, and the creation of AI applications to address societal challenges.

    Launching of LNDUS Innovation

    To maintain India and US leadership in innovation and to meet 21st-century demands, the two leaders also announced the launch of INDUS Innovation, a new innovation bridge modelled after the successful INDUS-X platform. This bridge will promote investments in space, energy, and other emerging technologies and advance industry and academic partnerships. The leaders also welcomed the next summit in 2025 and reaffirmed their commitment to the INDUS-X project, which facilitates collaborations between Indian and American defence businesses, investors, and academic institutions to generate vital capabilities for our forces. According to the release, the leaders also pledged to create reliable and robust supply chains for sophisticated materials, semiconductors, vital minerals, and pharmaceuticals as part of the TRUST project. The leaders want to promote public and private investments to increase Indian manufacturing capacity for active pharmaceutical ingredients for essential medications, especially in the US, as part of this endeavour. These investments will lower the risk of shortages of life-saving medications in both India and the US, diversify essential supply chains, and generate excellent jobs.

    Unearthing the Potentials of Minerals

    India and the US will increase research and development cooperation and encourage investment throughout the critical mineral value chain, as well as through the Mineral Security Partnership, of which both countries are members, in recognition of the significance of critical minerals for cutting-edge manufacturing and emerging technologies. In addition to announcing the launch of the Strategic Mineral Recovery initiative, a new US-India program to recover and process critical minerals (such as lithium, cobalt, and rare earths) from heavy industries like aluminium, coal mining, and oil and gas, the leaders of the two nations pledged to step up efforts to deepen their understanding of various critical mineral technologies.

    In order to ensure technology security, the leaders of both the nations have decided that their governments will step up efforts to improve high-tech trade, ease export regulations, and lower obstacles to technology transfer between the two nations. According to the statement, the leaders also decided to cooperate in order to combat the shared problem of unfair export control activities by third parties looking to take advantage of the overconcentration of vital supply chains.

    OpenAI in Talks to Set Up Data Centre in India
    OpenAI is in discussions to set up a data centre in India, signaling a major expansion move to enhance AI capabilities and local infrastructure.
    StartupTalkyNitin Konde

  • A House Subcommittee Criticises the IT Ministry for not Using Funds for Semiconductors

    The Ministry of Electronics and IT has come under fire from a legislative body for giving up more than half of the money allotted for projects involving the production of semiconductors and displays in 2023–2024. According to a news agency, which cited a report presented in the Lok Sabha, the ministry only spent INR 681.11 Cr of the INR 1,503.36 Cr total allotted as of March 31, 2024, under the modified program for the development of semiconductors and display manufacturing ecosystem in India, giving up 55% of the funds. In addition to the ministry’s persistent underutilisation of money throughout the years, the Standing Committee on Communications and IT has pointed out a progressive decrease in funding allocation for the Digital India Programme from the Budget Estimate (BE) 2021–2022 to BE 2024–2025. According to the report, the committee may be informed of the reasons why valuable funds that could have been allocated to other ministries for their efficient use have not been used.

    Panel asked MeitY to Make Realistic Projections in Future

    In order to guarantee optimal budget utilisation through improved planning and monitoring systems, the panel has requested that MeitY should develop realistic estimates for the future. According to the ministry’s statement to the panel, money from the India Semiconductor Mission can only be released following a claim. Due to adequate funding provided by the budget, surrenders primarily occur in the semiconductor program, the PLI, and the electronics manufacturing and production-linked incentive scheme.

    There is surrender later on when private enterprises are unable to spend and submit claims, the ministry had stated. The development occurs as domestic and international semiconductor companies are rushing to India to take advantage of the government’s subsidies. 18 proposals for semiconductor projects have been sent to India, comprising 13 for compound semiconductor fabs and ATMP (assembly, testing, marking, and packaging) facilities and 4 for semiconductor fabs.

    India’s Current Semiconductor Manufacturing Landscape

    Among the companies that have applied are Tata Electronics, Micron Technology, and CG Power. US-based Micron is also constructing an ATMP facility in Sanand, Gujarat, at an estimated cost of INR 22,516 Cr, while Tata Semiconductor Assembly and Test (TSAT) has set aside INR 27,000 Cr to establish a plant in Morigaon, Assam, for advanced semiconductor packaging technology. With a planned investment of INR 7,600 Cr, CG Power and Renesas are setting up a semiconductor facility in Sanand to produce specialist chips.

    By 2030, the government wants India to rank among the top five countries in the world for semiconductor manufacture. The conditions are in place, and India can meet this goal with the correct combination of proactive measures, technological know-how, infrastructure development, and financial investments.

    SEBI Tightens Rules for SME IPOs to Protect Investors
    SEBI introduces stricter rules for SME IPOs, aiming to enhance investor protection and ensure higher transparency in small and medium enterprise listings.
    StartupTalkyNitin Konde