TCS propels robotic explications for the semiconductor industry

India’s most comprehensive software exporter Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) recently propelled new Robotic Process Automation (RPA) solutions to stimulate greater accuracy and better condition in chip fabrication and help semiconductor businesses with digital transformation.

TCS has set up a unique Semiconductor Centre of Excellence (CoE) to design and create closed-loop systems that connect the power of analytics and computerization to reimagine the semiconductor fabrication (fab) value chain. Experts at this CoE are creating solutions that will allow production robots, powered with intelligent algorithms, to reply to different situations to improve quality and efficiency throughout the semiconductor manufacturing method.

The TCS Robotic Data Factory solution, created on Blue Prism’s Connected-RPA platform, will leverage perspicacity derived from fab production data to start an appropriate business workflow, urgently reducing the response time to irregularities in the production of semiconductors.

“We are introducing our deep contextual knowledge obtained from engagements in the semiconductor business and harnessing the power of robotic automation to streamline focus business processes using fab data effectively. This will significantly jumpstart our consumers’ Business 4.0 transformation drives, with faster product introduction and enhanced quality,” stated V Rajanna, Global Head, Technology Business Unit, TCS. “Our new CoE reemphasizes our commitment to investing in establishing new digital paradigms for the semiconductor industry.”

“By connecting TCS’ semiconductor industry expertise and our Connected-RPA platform we are able to modify operations and speed up product distribution in one of the most ambitious and vital industries in the world,” stated Chad Gailey, Vice President, Channel Sales and Global Service Providers, Blue Prism Americas. “We are encouraging disruption and innovation by attempting an unbeatable value recommendation for deploying intelligent automation explications.”

The semiconductor market is running through immense change at different speeds driven by big data, hyper-connectivity, and adoption of the Internet of Things. Semiconductor companies are aggressively proceeding strategies to enable accelerated innovation, product line expansion, and perpendicular market focus, with pace and agility.

Semiconductor chip manufacturing
While India has done well in the duration of chip design and electronics manufacturing, there have been difficulties in setting up of Semiconductor Wafer Fabrication (FAB) assemblies for a long time.

The digital age has moved the world into consuming electronics at an unparalleled scale. There will be global shipments of devices — PCs, mobile phones, and tablets — totaling 2.2 billion assemblages in 2019. All of these gadgets need semiconductor chips to function, and it is clear that economies with an extensive production of these chips have benefited the most in terms of improving their GDP. US, Korea, Japan, China, Singapore, etc. are all great producers of semiconductor chips and also have a powerful foothold in the global economy.

While India has done great in terms of chip design and electronics manufacturing, there have been difficulties in setting up of Semiconductor Wafer Fabrication (FAB) units in India for a long time. This is due to various factors, including not just the loss of infrastructure and skilled labor in the country. It is also challenging to compete with neighboring nations like China and Vietnam, which have been popular destinations for global chip manufacturers due to more reliable cost-efficiency. It is for these purposes that Intel stated in 2014 it had no interest in beginning manufacturing in India.

There have been efforts to set up semiconductor fab assemblies here by private companies in the country:

Hindustan Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation (HSMC), a collection of companies that included ST Microelectronics and Silterra Malaysia was intending kickstart chip manufacturing plant in Gujarat, a project meriting ₹30,000 crore. The government in 2019 withdrew the letter of intent granted to HSMC, and now there is no such recommendation from any private business to initiate such a project. The reason was that the consortium could not present the required documents asked by the government for establishing up of Semiconductor Wafer Fabrication (FAB) unit. HSMC had been supported by AMD and has also earned ₹700 crore in funding from Mumbai-based Next Orbit Ventures.

Then there was another cooperative led by Jaiprakash Associates, which partnered with IBM and Tower Semiconductor of Israel to begin chip manufacturing in UP. In 2016, debt-ridden Jaiprakash (JP) Associates dragged out of the ₹34,000-crore. If the only two private area consortiums cleared by the government to build large scale chip manufacturing in the nation could not make it happen, then it’s unquestionably a lousy indicator to why India is staggering in the space.

Enhancing the sector
The government, in an attempt to work towards this initiative, has announced several subsidies and incentives for setting up electronics manufacturing units in India. As per experts, with the implementation of fabrication abilities in India, the country has the potential to attain a higher degree of self-sufficiency in electronics. According to another survey, at the present rate of growth of the ESDM market the predictions show that the industry will grow from USD 76 Bn in 2013 to USD 400 Bn by 2020, alongside the fact that the consumption of semiconductors will continue to increase and there will be a need to fulfill this gap in the electronics arena.

The Indian government has permitted 100 percent Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) under the automatic route in the ESDM sector. The FDI in electronic manufacturing touched an all-time high of Rs 1,23,000 crore (USD 18.34 Bn) in 2016 from around Rs 11,000 crore (USD 1.64 Bn) in 2014. Alongside these numerous more significant organizations are starting to realize the potential in this sector and are investing heavily in manufacturing from India. For example, Panasonic Corporation is incorporating a new plant in Haryana, which will produce refrigerators and build research and development (R&D) center for appliances for the Indian market.