What is your strategy to win the market share?
The strategy is to focus on the four application areas that I described earlier. Today, I think we are No. 3 and by focusing on these areas, we can become No. 1.
We have five product lines: Platforms for cellphones, ASICs, microcontrollers, analogue and MEMS, and also power products.
Now that there is greater focus on green design, what green solutions do you have?
Everything that we do in the area of alternative energy is very, very green. Not only is it green, but we are contributing to make the green ‘greener.’ The solar cell is already green, but we have developed our solutions to make the solar cell more efficient.
What advantages does ST enjoy over other semiconductor companies in India?
Well, first of all, our range of technologies and products is very broad. We serve all the semiconductor markets, with two exceptions—one is flash memory and DRAM and the second is the microprocessor for the PC motherboard. In India, there is no real business on PC motherboard. So all that we do fits very well with the requirements of our Indian customers.
With the vast portfolio of our products, we can address a number of applications that are expanding very rapidly. Also, the 2200-strong staff is a massive presence that we have developed year after year. There are very few companies with this size of investment and R&D in India.
Your key priorities this year?
First, we will continue to expand and grow our customer base, with additional focus on Asia overall.
Second, a focused but significant capital investment in capacity for MEMS, in smart applications for the automotive field and in the U8500 smartphone platforms.
Third, after the completion of their restructuring, 2011 will be the year of ST-Ericsson’s transition, when the transformed, new product portfolio will start ramping from the second half of this year.
Fourth, we want to achieve breakthroughs with a number of new, innovative products, including system-on-chips for 3D and connected TVs; microcontrollers based on the Power PC architecture for automotive applications; twin MEMS (combining gyroscopes and accelerometers either in a package or with innovative solutions); new MEMS families like active microphones and pressure sensors; advanced analogue products; and the U8500 smartphone, tablet and thin modem platforms coming from ST-Ericsson.
