Japanese semiconductor maker ROHM is all set to be part of India’s electric vehicle (EV) industry, and is already a third-party supplier of components to some domestic manufacturers.

“The (manufacturing) ecosystem is not there yet and the tier-1 companies and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) are designing overseas. So it will take some time, but we are very sure that many companies will be coming to India because Indian OEMs like Mahindra & Mahindra and Tata Motors are already working on EVs,” Daisuke Nakamura, Managing Director, ROHM Semiconductors India, told BusinessLine here.

ROHM supplies parts to companies like Hero MotoCorp-backed Ather Energy.

The company manufacturers semiconductor and electronic parts like integrated circuits (ICs), discrete semiconductors and passive components. It also supplies optimised system solutions for a variety of markets from consumer and communication to the automotive and industrial sectors through a global sales and development network.

Headquartered in Kyoto, ROHM has over 21,308 employees worldwide with consolidated sales of ¥352 billion in 2016-17.

The company has introduced a new power supply IC in the Indian market, which is based on its Nano Pulse Control Technology that is required for 48V automotive systems, including mild hybrid vehicles.

“Out of our total business in India, 60 per cent comes from the automotive business. Out of that, 80 per cent comes from two-wheelers, where our focus is on our new product,” Nakamura said.

He further said the company gets around 1 per cent of its total revenues from India at present. Once the Indian EV industry grows, the market is likely to expand further. The company has 45 people in India, mostly at its technical centre in Bengaluru, and plans to grow to 100 people by 2020.

Related Topics
comment COMMENT NOW