Hardware
Phillips brings Ambilight technology for TV sets to India
MUMBAI: Phillips Electronics India is striving to up the ante in television technology to compete in an increasingly tough market. If last year, it introduced Pixel Plus 2 technology, it has now brought in ambient lighting (ambilight) technology for its plasma and LCD TV sets.
The company states that the technology makes the viewing experience more intense by throwing a soft glow on the wall behind the screen to enhance perceived brightness, contrast and colour accuracy. Ambilight projects background lighting from the rear of the TV set onto the wall behind the set.
Ambilight works by analysing the incoming TV signals and producing background lighting that matches the images displayed on the screen. There are four fixed preset and two special active preset modes. There is a relaxing mode and a dynamic mode that responds faster to the action on the screen.
Speaking on the occasion Phillips Electronics India executive director and senior VP consumer electronics D. Shivakumar says that ambilight provides a cinema like viewing experience.
On the occasion of the launch Phillips invited director Pradeep Sarkar who made Parineeta to speak. Abroad Phillips used Martin Scorcese who made The Aviator. Both these directors spoke on the use of light, shadow and colours.
Sarkar said, “The ability to recreate the magic of the big screen on television makes it possible for cinema buffs to enjoy a true to life reproduction of various nuances including colour and light. It is critical that viewers are able to enjoy the full spectrum of the cinema as intended by the director.”
Hardware
India clears Rs 1.6 lakh crore semiconductor projects under Semicon India
Ten projects cleared as production begins and design ecosystem gathers pace
NEW DELHI: India’s push to become a global electronics powerhouse is gaining momentum, with the Semicon India Programme driving the creation of a full-fledged semiconductor ecosystem from design to manufacturing.
Launched in 2022, the programme aims to build capabilities across the entire value chain, including chip design, fabrication, assembly, testing and packaging. In just four years, the government has approved 10 semiconductor projects with a combined investment commitment of around Rs 1.6 lakh crore.
Two of these facilities have already begun commercial production, including units led by Micron Technology Inc. and Kaynes Technology India Limited. Two more plants are expected to go live later this year, signalling that India’s chip ambitions are moving from blueprint to factory floor.
The broader electronics manufacturing story has also seen sharp growth over the past decade. Production has jumped from roughly Rs 1.9 lakh crore in 2014-15 to about Rs 12 lakh crore in 2024-25, while exports have surged nearly eightfold. Mobile phone manufacturing, once heavily import-dependent, now meets almost all domestic demand and has become a major export driver.
Alongside manufacturing, the government is investing heavily in design capabilities. Through access to advanced chip design tools provided free to 315 universities, students and researchers have clocked over 200 lakh hours of usage. This effort has already resulted in 211 chip tape-outs from 75 institutions.
Support for startups is also picking up pace. Twenty-four chip design projects have been approved, targeting sectors such as surveillance, energy, communications and IoT. Of these, 14 companies have collectively raised over Rs 650 crore in venture funding, while several designs have progressed to fabrication, including at advanced nodes.
To strengthen supply chains, India has also signed semiconductor cooperation agreements with countries including the United States, Japan, the European Union, Singapore and the Netherlands. These partnerships aim to reduce global dependencies while boosting domestic capabilities.
The employment impact is equally significant. The electronics sector now supports an estimated 25 lakh jobs, with mobile manufacturing alone accounting for nearly half. As more semiconductor units come online under the India Semiconductor Mission, indirect job creation across supply chains is expected to rise further.
Sharing these updates in Parliament, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology minister of state Jitin Prasada underscored the government’s focus on building a resilient, end-to-end semiconductor ecosystem.
With factories taking shape, designs moving to silicon and investments flowing in, India’s semiconductor story is steadily shifting gears from ambition to execution.
