Steve Sanghi of Microchip Technology speaks with Dr Satya Gupta from VLSI Society of India, sharing his insights into the future of chip technology and the key challenges and opportunities for India in becoming a semiconductor product nation.
SG: Could you start by sharing some background on Microchip’s journey and where it stands today?
SS: Microchip Technology began as a modest division of General Instruments in the late 1980s, struggling financially and valued at around $10 million. After I joined in 1988, we raised $10.5 million in venture capital, and over the next three decades, we scaled Microchip to $8 billion revenue and a market valuation of $44 billion. We now operate globally, with large manufacturing fabs and a diverse portfolio, especially in microcontrollers and FPGAs, which serve defence, automotive, and consumer markets. Through cycles of technological and economic challenges, Microchip has maintained a steady growth trajectory.
SG: What global technology and business trends do you see shaping the semiconductor industry in the next five to seven years?
SS: Several trends are set to dominate. Artificial intelligence (AI) is seeing exponential growth, driven by companies like Nvidia. Beyond AI, there are six key trends: electric vehicles, autonomous driving, data centre expansion, 5G, Internet of Things (IoT), and sustainability. All these areas demand a range of semiconductor innovations, from high-performance GPUs to chiplets and 3D packaging. Technology and business trends drive each other, fuelling the semiconductor industry’s rapid expansion.
SG: How do you view the geopolitical landscape in semiconductors, especially with recent supply chain disruptions and self-reliance efforts by many countries post-Covid?
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