We believe in value engineering products

What are the trends in the Indian semiconductor market

and what is the role of Texas Instruments (TI) in it?



Semiconductor is like staple food for the electronics and power industry. In

the emerging world, we believe the market can benefit a lot. The semiconductor

market is growing in IP related products such as set-top boxes. In the computer

segment, evolution of PCs, notebooks, netbooks and other Internet gadgets are on

the rise, especially in emerging markets such as India. Areas where

semiconductors will make a profound impact include medical, defense, and other

strategic markets. At TI, we have bought a concept called value engineering

products, because affordable products at low costs are crucial for Indian

marketplaces and emerging geographies.

How well prepared is TI in India, especially amidst the

slowdown?



TI has more than 35,000 unique active components and we are #3 in terms of

our revenue. But in terms of unique products, we lead the market. We have more

than 25,000 analog products. The Indian market was not much affected by the

slowdown because the nature of business in India is not export-oriented.

However, consumption to a certain extent, went down. By the end of this year, we

should see the industry growth in double digits.

Can you give us an update on TIs R&D center in India?



The R&D center in India is not only the IC design competency center, but

also the software and hardware design center. We are working on analog products,

compute power areas, and interfaces. The center is also working on digital

signal processors and controllers which are widely used in high-end UPS and

solar inverter applications. Across the board, a number of programs on audio,

video, and wireless are being done in our India R&D center.

Any plans to expand your footprint in India through

sales offices and network partners?



We already have fourteen offices in twelve cities. We have established

technical sales, applications, and people spread across these regions in a short

span of time. We started with only one office in 2006. India is also among the

three high growth regions, apart from China and Eastern Europe.

What is TIs role in green initiatives?



From a green initiative viewpoint, we have products that can cut down the

standby power consumption in televisions. We also have products such as solar

inverters and grid inverters, where green technology plays a major role. Our

focus has now shifted in creating more greener products.

PC Suraj



surajp@cybermedia.co.in