Lattice Semiconductor has established a Centre of Excellence to support research and development for field programmable gate arrays (FPGA) products at its Pune facility.
Eyeing the growing relevance of local IPs for its customers and clientele in India, low-power FPGA solutions provider Lattice Semiconductor plans to expand in India from its current sales and support operations to research and development initiatives. For this, the company plans to onboard 100 “highly skilled local personnel with a focus on applications and R&D engineering, as well as operations.”
Located in the ICC Trade Tower at Senapati Bapat Road in Pune, the company declared that Lattice’s office will play a pivotal role in advancing the company’s research and development initiatives with its low-power FPGA portfolio, silicon design, software tools, and AI-driven solutions.
In an exclusive conversation with EFY, CEO Ford Tamer said the company sought to recruit talent across three verticals — hardware, software and AI. “By categorising AI expertise separately from hardware and software, we are prioritising AI innovation as a critical area for growth,” he said.
The Pune R&D centre was established in eight months, has 70 employees, and is expected to reach 100 in the coming months. The company partners with IIT Bombay, IIT Indore, College of Engineering Pune and other universities through 12-month internship programmes and advanced research projects. “We seek a mix of talent, from master’s and PhD-level AI specialists to bachelor’s degree holders for silicon validation, addressing both advanced and practical needs,” explained Tamer.

Tamer pointed out the key challenges in the semiconductor industry, including shorter design cycles, rising costs of advanced process nodes, and the need for adaptable solutions, and told EFY that “The Pune centre focuses on addressing these challenges through innovations in vision, security, and edge AI.” He highlighted the support from the Software Technology Parks of India (STPI) and local industry bodies “to cut through the red tape.” Also, he hinted at exploring open-source tools, particularly in soft IP and RISC-V, aligning with India’s embedded design aspirations.
The R&D centre expects to design solutions across segments such as industrial automation, data centres, and automotive for global and Indian markets, catering to giants such as Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL) and Tejas Networks, all focused on increased localisation. The centre will also support regional operations in Asia-Pacific, with data centres and support systems complementing the company’s efforts in Manila, Penang, and Shanghai.
This optimism is reflected in the statement made by the company’s senior vice president of R&D, Pravin Desale, “Our new R&D hub in Pune will be instrumental in demonstrating Lattice’s focus on growth in this market. We look forward to enabling our customers worldwide with versatile and robust small and mid-range FPGA solutions to achieve their design goals,” he stated.