American hi-tech worker, 2006
EE Times -Indian government exploring fab possibilities
Acknowledging that such a facility could cost billions, the government said it will not be in a position to undertake the investment itself. Rather, it would create the necessary conditions for setting up a fab and leave the rest to the likes of an Intel, Advanced Micro Devices or other chip maker, said Rajeeva Ratna Shah, union secretary for the government of India’s Planning Commission.
The government is willing to put in a part of the equity needed for a fab and provide the land required, but said that a cash-rich company like Intel would need to set up the operations.
Yes, get the Americans to pay for it. If you’re going to shoot someone, it’s always better to get them to dig their own grave first. Saves a lot of work. The funny thing about this story is that I can recall within the last couple of decades when Toshiba was busted for selling the USSR (still in business at the time) a laptop or some gear that violated all sorts of security edicts. Now we’re just out-and-out exporting the basic technologies completely out of the country. When did that become ok?
I was in the Navy, on submarines, at the time. One of Toshiba’s heavy-equipment subsidiaries sold a computer-controlled, multi-axis milling-machine – through convoluted channels – to the Soviets. Oops! Allowed the “pesky ruskie’s” to cut the blades of their submarines’ screws (“propellors” for the non-nautical) in the very complex-curves needed to allow their submarines to run muchquieter – like ours.
I don’t think Toshiba’s laptop sales ever recovered from the ill-will generated by that fiasco.
Anyway, I’m currently in the semiconductor manufacturing field – and we have several Indian engineers working for my current employer. (I’ve never asked how many are on H1B visas – but it wouldn’t surprise me if most of them are). India should have no problem supplying engineers for a fab, from what I’ve seen.
Besides, according to Intel’s pressroom site Sites outside the United States are located in Shanghai, China; San Jose, Costa Rica; Leixlip, Ireland; Jerusalem, Israel; Qiryat Gat, Israel; Kulim, Malaysia; Penang, Malaysia; and Cavite, Philippines.. So, why shouldn’t India try to get a piece of the action?
When did it become okay? When there was no direct military application for the technology. 🙁
I’m not sure you’ve grasped the concept of the multi-national corporation.
What is the best prospect for continued prosperity in the rich north (west)? Increasing prosperity in the poor south (east), of course! I’d suggest that intellectual protectionism is as shortsighted as economic protectionism. We all prosper together by sharing expertise, do you think that “good ole yankee know-how” is going to run out sometime soon? I don’t, as long as it is constantly fertilised by good all everyone else’s know-how too.
After all, Every thing was invented by the Scots…
Regards
Tom (from Scotland)
The Republican party still believes that those pinko Commies can do no right, or at least very little right, and they certainly believed that in the Reagan-Bush era. Today, the Republican party seems to believe that big business can do no wrong. So if big business wants to put a fab in India, it’s going to happen, especially since India is a friendly democracy.
When did it become “OK”? I dunno. I have a copy of an Abraham Lincoln campaign poster that promotes tarriffs. When did Republicans start thinking tarriffs weren’t a good thing?
I’m sure there are Democrats with mixed feelings on these kinds of things too. After all, NAFTA was signed by a Democrat.
Now, if a fab were built in Cuba or Iran, and those countries’ policies were like they are today, then I would start to really wonder. That would be irony.