Recently, it emerged that the Tata Group is in talks with at least three state governments in India to invest $300 million (approx. Rs 2,245 crore) towards a new semiconductor assembly and testing unit.
And today it was announced that Tata Motors, along with Tejas Network (which is also a Tata group company), has forged a strategic partnership with Renesas Electronics Corporation, a premier supplier of advanced semiconductor solutions
The partnership will work on the design, development and manufacturing of Renesas’ semiconductor solutions across electronics systems for the Indian and emerging markets.
It may be recalled that another Tata group company, Tata Elxi has, in cooperation with Renesas, established an EV Innovation Center (NEVIC) in Bengaluru.
5G and IoT tech are also part of the deal
The partnnership with Renesas has two parts. The one with Tata Motors will focus on, not surprisingly, automotive industry. The tie-up with Tejas Network will encompass 5G and IoT technology.
Tata Motors is of the opinion that the future of automotive systems design lies in a vehicle-centralized, zone-oriented electronic and electrical (E/E) architecture. So, its collaboration with Renesas will be to develop next-generation automotive electronics to enhance performance and scalability for vehicles.
Renesas has expertise in semiconductor technology, and it come handy to accelerate the development of electric and connected vehicles. 'Renesas and TML will explore a non-exclusive partnership on emerging technologies such as ADAS," the two companies said.
With Tejas, Renesas will work on implementing next-generation wireless network solutions. This includes design and development of semiconductor solutions for radio units (RU) used in telecom networks, from 4G, 5G, to open radio access network (O-RAN), which enables open and flexible 5G RAN deployments, in addition to allowing wider interoperability. The companies aim to roll out products and solutions initially for India and aim to expand its footprint in the global markets.
Further, Renesas and Tata Consultancy Services Limited (TCS) will partner by establishing a Joint System Solution Development Center in Bangalore. The innovation center will focus on comprehensive system solutions for the IoT, infrastructure, industrial and automotive segments.
"We see great potential in collaborating with Renesas in areas like automotive electronics and present and future telecom networks. The collaboration will accelerate our presence in these areas in India as well as globally," Natarajan Chandrasekaran, Chairman, Tata Sons, said.
It may be recalled India recently announced an incentive package of $10 billion to drive semiconductor manufacturing in India. And India is expected to be emerge as a strong regional hub in semiconductor and electronics manufacturing.
