STMicro's Bipin Pande on automotive semiconductor trends in India

The total cost of electronics and semiconductor devices in a car is indication of how advanced is the car. The automotive is getting automated in multiple aspects of its operation and usage. The automation is powered by IC chips, power switching semiconductor devices and sensors including MEMS. This writer recently had a brief chat with Bipin Pande, Technical Marketing Manager, Automotive products group, STMicroelectronics, a world's 2nd ranked automotive electronics devices company which is supplying processor, sensor and power semiconductor devices to automotive electronics market. Below are the some of the trends explained by Bipin Pande. Amount of silicon in car and two wheelers: Bipin Pande: Total electronics in the car basically used to be in the range of $5-$8 (long time back). The situation is changing, even in the entry-level cars people are demanding power windows, more and more infotainment, there is a demand for ABS, airbag. This all providing more room for electronics. In Europe, in my opinion - the semiconductor content in a car is around US$ 400 to 500. In India it is in the range of US$ 50, in China it is around 250 US$. So this means that electronics will increase in fourwheelers and also in two-wheelers. Two wheeler market should not be ignored. In Europe, in 80s and 90s vehicles were using electromechanical relays, now it is com...