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When Sandeep Kumar had the opportunity to start a semiconductor company in India, he seized it. At a time when Indian semiconductor companies were moving into manufacturing and assembly, Kumar took a different path and ventured into chip design. “This aligns perfectly with the major transformations taking place in key industries such as automotive, industrial, and energy. These sectors are moving from traditional hardware-driven systems to more advanced software-defined systems. I see this as a great time and a great opportunity to build a truly Indian semiconductor company that will contribute to the future of Indian technology and industry. ” said Sandeep Kumar, CEO of L&T Semiconductor Technologies, a wholly owned subsidiary of L&T.
What sets Kumar apart as CEO is his ability to attract talent and create a vision for the company. For L&T Semiconductor Technologies, the challenge is not necessarily talent retention, but rather identifying talent who are serious about building an Indian semiconductor company from scratch. “Our approach is to attract people who are passionate about making a lasting impact on the industry, not just people looking for a short-term career change or incremental pay increases. It’s a key criterion in our recruitment process, and it’s reflected in our leadership team, who joined us with a clear goal of making this vision a reality. Finding dedicated talent may not be easy, but we believe that with the right focus and strategy, we will attract the right talent when our work is recognized. I am confident that this will not be an obstacle for our company in the future,” he added.
When you run a great company, it’s difficult to attract top leaders. But Mr. Kumar took this head on. “In the first few months, I assembled some of the best talent in the semiconductor industry from around the world. Each person had their own strengths and had never worked together before, so I had a unique experience. The key was not just to recruit them, but to create a cohesive environment in which these 20 strong personalities could work together effectively as a team. is critical to our progress and something I am extremely proud of,” Kumar said, defining the boldest move of all. company.
His vision is clear. It aims to become the first global semiconductor company headquartered in India with a strong presence in the US, Europe, Japan and India. The chip design arm of Larsen & Toubro, India’s largest infrastructure company, started with a $100 million investment from its parent company.