Rapidus and HCLTech establish two development centers in India — The Japan Times

Japanese semiconductor manufacturer Rapidus and Indian technology company HCL Technologies, known as HCLTech, have established two development centers in India to accelerate the creation of next-generation chips. Both centers became fully operational on Monday, The Japan Times reports.

Photomask and PDK development

Through the new centers, HCLTech plans to provide Tokyo-based Rapidus with photomask design technologies and develop process design kits, or PDKs, needed to create integrated circuits. The Indian company will also train chip design specialists to help Rapidus meet its future staffing needs.

Rapidus plans to release PDKs in fiscal 2026, and HCLTech will participate in their development.

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Support for production in Hokkaido

On the same day, IBM Japan announced the opening of an office in the city of Chitose on Japan's northern island of Hokkaido. It will support the company's customers in the semiconductor sector, including Rapidus.

Rapidus uses IBM technology and plans to begin mass production of semiconductors with a 2-nanometer circuit line width at its plant in Chitose in fiscal 2027. The city is also home to offices of many other companies connected to the semiconductor industry.