• Infineon will supply semiconductor wafers to CDIL for packaging and assembly at CDIL's Mohali facility, serving India's growing EV and renewable energy sectors.
  • The partnership will initially focus on producing MOSFETs before expanding to IGBTs for high-voltage electricity regulation in EVs and renewable energy systems.
  • This marks Infineon's first manufacturing partnership in India, as the country aims to expand its EV penetration from 7-8% to 30% by 2030.

German semiconductor powerhouse Infineon Technologies has established a strategic partnership with CDIL Semiconductors, a six-decade-old Indian chipmaker, to capitalize on emerging opportunities in the world's most populous nation.

The collaboration targets India's growing electric mobility and renewable energy sectors, both heavily dependent on advanced power semiconductors.

Under the partnership, Infineon will supply wafers to CDIL, which will handle packaging and assembly at its Mohali facility in Punjab.

The finished products will serve Indian customers in the light electric vehicle segment—primarily electric two- and three-wheelers—as well as renewable energy applications including solar inverters and energy storage systems.

Initially, the partnership will produce MOSFETs (metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors), which function as electronic switches controlling electricity flow.

CDIL plans to eventually expand to IGBTs (insulated-gate bipolar transistors)—crucial components regulating high-voltage electricity in EVs and renewable energy systems.

CDIL's facility currently has an annual capacity of 600 million power semiconductor units.

Rather than using traditional silicon, the semiconductors will employ advanced materials like silicon carbide and gallium nitride, offering superior heat resistance and greater power density in smaller spaces.

Richard Kuncic, Infineon's senior vice president, expressed optimism about India's potential: "We believe that India is still in the early stage of an exponential curve, but this market will accelerate significantly in the next few years."

While this represents Infineon's first manufacturing venture in India, the company has no immediate plans to establish a wafer manufacturing site in the country, instead focusing on building additional partnerships to strengthen its presence in the Indian market.

Edited by Annette George