The hum of ambition fills the air in India’s tech circles these days. It’s a sound that’s been building for years, but now, with the National Semiconductor Mission in full swing, it’s reaching a crescendo. At the heart of this push? A belief that India can leapfrog the old ways and become a global leader in chip design and manufacturing.
Gilroy Mathew, the Chief Operating Officer at UST, is one of those voices. He sees RISC-V, the open-source instruction set architecture, as a key piece of this puzzle. It’s not just about catching up; it’s about building something new, something that can compete on the world stage. He argues that RISC-V offers India a chance to break free from legacy architectures and forge its own path.
It’s a compelling vision. India has a massive talent pool, a growing domestic market, and a government committed to fostering the semiconductor ecosystem. The goal isn’t just to assemble chips; it’s to design them, to create the software, and to build the digital-first OSAT (Outsourced Semiconductor Assembly and Test) capacity. This is where Mathew sees RISC-V making a difference.
“RISC-V can be a cornerstone,” he might say, as the conversation unfolds. He knows the challenges, of course. Building a semiconductor industry from scratch is a complex undertaking. It requires massive investment, skilled workers, and a supportive regulatory environment. But the potential rewards – economic growth, technological sovereignty, and a seat at the table of global innovation – are immense.
The path forward is not easy, but the possibility of what India could become is within reach. It’s a story of ambition, of technology, and of a nation looking to write its next chapter.