Hardware
Technicolor accelerates content production compliant with UHD Alliance specifications
MUMBAI: Technicolor is accelerating content production that is compliant with the Ultra HD displays and content specifications after the UHD Alliance’s released specifications for the same.
Technicolor is a founding member of the UHD Alliance and has been a vocal supporter of an open-standard for next-generation video, which will allow consumers to buy devices and content with confidence.
Technicolor has worked with its global teams and content owners over the last year to develop a new 4K HDR workflow for new titles, a cost-effective solution to remaster existing libraries, and the infrastructure to replicate the first Ultra HD Blu-ray Disc – all of which meet the new UHD Alliance specifications.
Content creators working on new titles can utilise Technicolor’s global team of colourists and colour scientists to natively grade content in HDR. Technicolor has already graded several films to the UHD Alliance’s HDR specifications for Twentieth Century Fox including Spy and Fantastic Four. Technicolor has also worked with Amazon – the first video service to offer HDR – to grade its Amazon Original Series including Bosch, Mozart in the Jungle and Red Oaks in HDR quality.
Those looking for an opportunity to unlock new value in the millions of hours of existing library content in a new, higher-quality format can remaster their libraries with Technicolor’s remastering services. Technicolor utilises its unique Intelligent Tone Management plugin for major colour grading systems, which dramatically reduces the time to create HDR content from archives of video content.
Technicolor’s Home Entertainment Services team also announced it is fully certified by the Blu-ray Disc Association to create 4K HDR Ultra HD Blu-ray Discs. They are preparing to ship launch titles in the first quarter of 2016, timed with the release of new disc players.
“After a year of dedicated work to define what next-generation video entertainment will look like, Technicolor welcomes the completion of the UHD Alliance specifications which will allow content owners to create next-generation content with confidence that it will look great on all next-generation displays. With cross-ecosystem expertise, and a fundamental understanding of storytelling, Technicolor’s well-tested HDR pipeline maintains the integrity of creative intent from set to screens. We look forward to helping our partners develop new libraries of compelling content,” said Technicolor vice president of partner relationships and business development Mark Turner.
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.
