skip to content

“India Offers Exceptional Access To Talent In Silicon Design, Software Engineering, AI Development” – Ford Tamer Of Lattice Semiconductor

- Advertisement -

While the electronics industry stresses strengthening India’s design capabilities, low-power FPGA solutions provider Lattice Semiconductor set up a research and development centre in Pune in a bid to provide and develop innovative solutions for its clientele in India. In an exclusive conversation with EFY’s Yashasvini Razdan, Lattice’s Ford Tamer answers the question — Why India?


Q. What brings you to India?

A. We have been visiting India for the past two decades. While at Broadcom, I helped establish a design centre in Bangalore and acquired Level 7, which had operations in Chennai. Later, while on the board of Marvell, I worked with its design centre in Pune. I have always recognised the depth of India’s electronic and software talent.

Our engineering vice president, Pravin Desale, is originally from Pune and has successfully launched multiple design centres in the city. When I joined Lattice Semiconductor about four and a half months ago, the Pune design centre was already operational. Today, we celebrated its grand opening, demonstrating our commitment to leveraging India’s talent.

- Advertisement -

Additionally, India’s geopolitical importance and expanding customer base make it a key region for us. Our sales and field application engineering teams in Bangalore are dedicated to supporting local customers.

Q. What are the challenges in the electronic semiconductor industry that Lattice intends to address with an R&D centre in Pune?

A. Shortening design cycles and increasing costs in advanced process nodes (e.g., 3 nanometres and 2 nanometres) are major challenges. FPGAs provide flexibility by enabling rapid prototyping and software updates, avoiding the high costs and long timelines associated with application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs). For fast-evolving areas like security and AI, FPGAs offer adaptability to changing requirements. Our Pune design centre focuses on creating solutions in vision, security, and edge AI to address these challenges.

Q. Why should an electronics embedded design company design in India?

A. India offers exceptional access to talent in silicon design, software engineering, and AI development, which aligns with our hiring goals. While the competition for talent in India is intense, it still provides cost efficiencies compared to other regions.

We compete with major global companies like Google and Amazon to hire highly skilled AI and machine learning experts, silicon designers, and digital signal processing (DSP) software engineers. Having a global footprint allows us to leverage the unique strengths of different locations while optimising operational costs.

Q. Do you view India as a consumer market or as a talent pool for developing solutions?

A. Both. This centre designs solutions for customers worldwide and tailors products for local and multinational companies in India. For instance, we collaborate with semiconductor companies, electronics manufacturing services (EMS) providers, and major local players like Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL) and Tejas Networks.

India’s strong localisation strategies align with our approach to addressing the needs of local and global markets. This centre also supports regional operations in Asia-Pacific, with data centres and support systems complementing our efforts in Manila, Penang, and Shanghai.

Q. What kind of talent are you seeking, and how are you collaborating with academia?

A. We work closely with institutions like IIT Bombay, IIT Indore, and local universities in Pune. We engage students through internships, onboarding programmes, and collaborations on master’s and PhD-level research projects. By providing practical exposure to students, we intend to contribute to bridging the gap between academic curriculum and industry requirements.

For advanced roles in AI and machine learning, we prefer candidates with master’s or PhD qualifications. However, bachelor’s degree holders are often sufficient to validate silicon or compiler-related tasks. 

Q. How does having an R&D centre in India align with your global innovation strategy?

A. At a high level, Lattice focuses on field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), which involve silicon, software, and artificial intelligence (AI) expertise. We have silicon engineers working on chip design (hardware design layer). Another team focuses on developing software tools and soft intellectual property (IP) solutions. We have also hired engineers with AI expertise to create market-relevant solutions and integrate AI into our devices.

We know the critical importance of the quickly evolving segment of AI for innovation; hence, we are categorising AI separately from software and hardware.

Q. What challenges did Lattice face while setting up the Pune R&D centre?

A. We were initially concerned about bureaucratic hurdles, but the support from government bodies like STPI (Software Technology Parks of India) and various local agencies was exemplary. The approvals and processes were expedited, allowing us to build and operationalise the centre in just eight months! We currently have nearly 70 employees and expect to surpass 100 in the next few months.

Q. How does Lattice view competition in India for its products?

A. Globally, there are three major players in the FPGA space: Lattice, AMD, and Altera. While AMD and Altera focus on large FPGAs, we lead the small to mid-range FPGA market, shipping between 200 and 250 million units annually. Our strategy is to focus on differentiated solutions in the small to mid-range FPGA segment, which aligns well with India’s growing focus on wearables, hearables, and industrial automation.

Q. Does Lattice plan to partner with startups and industry giants in India to foster innovation?

A. We recently hosted a developers conference with over 6000 participants and 90 partners, including Indian companies like VVDN and Agilent. Startup collaboration is important for boosting innovation and addressing market-specific challenges.

Q. Any plans on developing or working with open-source tools or RISC V?

A. We are exploring opportunities to integrate more open-source tools into our processes, particularly in soft IP and RISC-V. By providing RISC-V soft IP and embracing open-source strategies, we aim to support India’s electronics design ecosystem, which is evolving rapidly.

Q. Do you have any plans to get your solutions manufactured in India?

A. As a fabless company, we rely on partners like TSMC and Samsung for manufacturing. However, as India develops its semiconductor capabilities, including fabs and assembly facilities, we may explore opportunities for localisation.

Q. In your opinion, is establishing a design ecosystem more important than setting up a manufacturing ecosystem first?

A. Both ecosystems must grow simultaneously. A robust design ecosystem needs to be complemented by manufacturing and assembly capabilities to ensure a seamless supply chain and faster time-to-market for products.

Q. What is your outlook on emerging technologies like AI, IoT, and 5G?

A. AI remains the brightest spot in the industry, driving innovation across markets such as data centres, industrial automation, and automotive. IoT is also gaining momentum, particularly in industrial applications. While 5G adoption has been slower, we expect it to recover in the coming years.

India’s entry into these markets may have been delayed, but its rapid growth and adoption rates are creating significant opportunities. FPGAs will play a critical role in supporting these technologies, particularly in edge AI and industrial IoT.


- Advertisement -

Most Popular Articles

Yashasvini Razdan
Yashasvini Razdan
Yashasvini Razdan is a journalist at EFY. She has the rare ability to write both on tech and business aspects of electronics, thanks to an insatiable thirst to know all about technology. Driven by curiosity, she collects hard facts and wields the power of her pen to simplify and disseminate information.

Eastman, Urja Mobility To Power Electric Three-Wheelers

0
Integrating IoT and software solutions for enhanced mobility, Eastman Auto partners with Urja Mobility to supply batteries for electric three-wheelers in India. On Tuesday,...

ISRO, IIT Madras Unveil India’s Indigenous IRIS Chip

0
Powering India’s leap towards self-reliance in semiconductors for space and IoT systems under the RISC-V initiative, ISRO and IIT Madras have jointly launched IRIS...

Lam Research To Invest ₹100B In India

0
Aligning with government efforts to reduce import dependency, Lam Research is set to invest ₹100 billion in Bengaluru, India, for semiconductor manufacturing. Lam Research,...

BEL, Safran Partner To Boost India’s Defence Manufacturing

0
To locally produce cutting-edge HAMMER weapon systems, France's Safran Electronics join hands with BEL, expands manufacturing and R&D operations in Bengaluru. Defence PSU Bharat...

Delvitech Expands AI Innovation India

0
Focused on AI-powered AOI and SPI systems, the company is committed to driving innovation, optimizing production quality, and delivering world-class solutions tailored to the...
Khushal Panchal,  chief operating officer (COO), PCB Power

“We Differentiate Ourselves By Producing Radio Frequency PCBs For Wireless Communication Devices” – Khushal...

0
With technology and policy support, Indian PCB manufacturing is at a turning point. Can innovation and scale match global giants? PCB Power leads the...
Jayesh Ranjan IAS, Special Secretary, Department of Industries and Commerce and ITE&C, Government Of Telangana

“To Compensate For Telangana’s Lack Of A Wet Port,Our Incentives Help ESDM And Semiconductor...

0
Despite logistics challenges, how is Telangana securing billion-dollar investments in electronics? Will the state unveil a new semiconductor policy soon? Jayesh Ranjan, IAS, from...
Shrinivas Kulkarni CFO, Cyient DLM

“Acquisitions That Help Address Gaps In Our Design Capabilities….. Interest Us” – Shrinivas Kulkarni,...

0
Over the past five years, Cyient DLM (formerly Rangsons Electronics), a subsidiary of Cyient Limited, has rapidly expanded its footprint in the design-led manufacturing...
Akshay-Kashyap-of-Greenfuel-Energy

“Many Companies Avoid Pack Testing And Validation Because It Is Time-Consuming” – Akshay Kashyap,...

0
Battery pack reliability goes beyond cell quality—it relies on precise engineering, thorough testing, and tailored thermal management. In a conversation with EFY’s Nitisha Dubey,...
Sambit Parida, CTO and Co-Founder of IG Drones

“If A Hacking Attempt Is Detected, The System Automatically Secures Or Erases Critical Data...

0
From handling defence-specific tasks with or without human intervention to withstanding extreme weather, how capable are drones? What if someone tries to hack sensitive...

Meridian Joins Altair’s Startup Programme To Boost UAV Tech

0
Eyeing to drive innovation in UAVs and hybrid power tech with simulation tools and expert support, Altair teams up with Meridian Flight Systems in...

Mitsubishi Electric Acquires Stake In Itanta Analytics Startup

0
Aiming to boost manufacturing digitalisation and efficiency with simplified automation solutions, Mitsubishi Electric India invests in Itanta Analytics to develop no-code data analysis tools....

Union Budget 2025-26: What It Has For The Electronics Sector?

0
With reduced and exempted duties, tax relief for manufacturing, and increased support for startups, this Budget addresses a broader range of issues within the...

IndiaAI Mission Expands To 18,693 GPUs For R&D

0
Aiming to support R&D and ethical AI, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced the expansion of IndiaAI’s GPU infrastructure to 18,693 to benefit startups and...
Sambit Parida, CTO and Co-Founder of IG Drones

Innovative Drone Technologies from IG Drones Driving Efficiency Across Sectors

0
Haryana-based IG Drones develops advanced surveillance, agriculture, and defence technologies, focusing on improving adaptability and operational precision. Founded in 2018 by Om Prakash and Bodhisattwa...

Industry's Buzz

Learn From Leaders

Startups