MUMBAI: The Singapore govt is in talks with the Tata Group for a partnership to develop semiconductors. Senior Singapore govt officials, led by minister for law and home affairs K Shanmugam, met group chairman N Chandrasekaran this week to discuss semiconductors.
Despite its small size, Singapore has 25 foundries and a robust semiconductor value chain. India is looking to secure their supply, which are used in all equipment from cars to telecom. The semiconductor industry in Singapore was also a key topic of discussion during the recent India-Singapore ministerial round table.
“If they want to, Tatas can do business with anybody in the world, but they will, I think, choose Singapore as a key partner. We are a serious player in the international semiconductor industry in different parts. We are a reliable player… a country where Tatas have had a very deep and long history, with more than 50 years of being here. So yes, we did talk quite in detail,” Shanmugam said. He added that Singapore was not offering help but looking at a partnership considering Tata Group’s scale, which had a market capitalisation equivalent to the GDP of Singapore.
Shanmugam was visiting Mumbai with senior govt officials including Singapore’s minister for manpower Tan See Lang on the occasion of DBS Bank commemorating 30 years in India. Besides semiconductor development, Singapore is looking to partner India on skills development, digital, industrial parks and securing renewable energy.
“The 25 foundries do what a lot of foundries around the world do. We have an entire value chain. So, you don’t just say, snap your fingers, and everything falls into place, right? You need the whole framework,” said Shanmugham.
