News, 24 September 2024, with an update added in November 2026.
SiliconAuto, the automotive chip joint venture of Stellantis and Foxconn (Hon Hai Technology Group), opened its India Design Center on Bangalore's Outer Ring Road on 23 September 2024. The centre is its first semiconductor research and development site in India and works on chip and SoC design for electric vehicles (EVs), autonomous driving and connected cars. SiliconAuto was set up in 2023 to serve the semiconductor needs of both parent companies and of the wider automotive market.
Key takeaways
- SiliconAuto is a 50/50 joint venture of Stellantis and Foxconn, announced in June 2023 and based in the Netherlands.
- The Bengaluru centre, inaugurated on 23 September 2024, covers R&D, semiconductor product design and SoC development.
- The venture said at launch that it planned to supply chips from 2026, for Stellantis, Foxconn and other customers.
- Since the opening, SiliconAuto joined imec's Automotive Chiplet Program (October 2024) and has been reported to launch its first microcontroller family, XMotiv M3, at Embedded World in March 2026.
The Bengaluru design centre
SiliconAuto's CEO, Gene Liu, said the company is committed to innovation in the automotive industry and that the Bengaluru centre will play a central part in its vision of smarter and safer transportation. The location was chosen for its large talent pool and established technology ecosystem.
At the time of the opening the design centre was ramping up its hiring and looking to build strong partnerships with local automotive OEMs and Tier-1 suppliers.
What the press release said
SiliconAuto inaugurates design center in Bangalore (23 September 2024, Bangalore, India). SiliconAuto, a joint venture of Stellantis N.V. and Hon Hai Technology Group (Foxconn), inaugurated its India Design Center on Bangalore's Outer Ring Road. The main points of the release were:
- The centre is intended to speed up the company's development of automotive technologies and solutions for the automotive industry, including Stellantis.
- SiliconAuto aims to give customers an auto-industry-centred source of semiconductors for the growing number of computer-controlled features and modules, particularly those needed for electric vehicles.
- Its products are meant to support the future semiconductor needs of Stellantis, Foxconn and other customers, including future OEM electrical/electronic and software architectures with full over-the-air update capability.
- The inauguration was led by CEO Gene Liu, CFO Cristiani Campos and India General Manager Ravi Koodli, and was presented as a milestone in the company's global expansion.
- The Bangalore facility will be a hub for advanced R&D, semiconductor product design and SoC development for intelligent, energy-efficient automotive solutions for global markets.
- Its focus is next-generation semiconductor solutions for EVs, autonomous driving and connected cars, with the tools and resources needed for that work.
- SiliconAuto described India as a key market for talent and technology, and planned to recruit engineers and designers there.
"This new center embodies SiliconAuto's commitment to innovation and excellence in the automotive industry. Our India team is set to drive forward our vision of a smarter and safer future for transportation," said Gene Liu, CEO of SiliconAuto. "Bangalore, with its rich talent pool and thriving tech ecosystem, is the perfect location for our new design center."
Cristiani Campos, CFO of SiliconAuto, added, "The India Design Center will play a crucial role in our company's growth, enhancing operational efficiency and fostering collaboration across our global teams."
The release also carried a further statement, without a named speaker in the text published here, that the facility is an investment not only in infrastructure but in the engineers who will push automotive semiconductor solutions forward.
Background: why Stellantis and Foxconn formed SiliconAuto
Stellantis and Foxconn first agreed to work together on automotive semiconductors in late 2021, during the chip shortage that halted car production around the world. In June 2023 they announced SiliconAuto as an equal joint venture, headquartered in the Netherlands, to design and sell semiconductors for the car industry, with supply planned from 2026. The chips were to support Stellantis's STLA Brain electrical and software architecture as well as other customers. The two companies already shared a separate joint venture, Mobile Drive, which works on smart cockpits.
For a carmaker, a captive chip design partner offers more say over long-lifetime parts, closer fit to its own vehicle architecture and less exposure to a single supplier. For Foxconn it adds automotive silicon to its EV and electronics manufacturing business.
Why Bengaluru
Bengaluru hosts design centres of most large semiconductor and EDA companies, so a new entrant can hire experienced engineers in front-end design, verification, physical design and embedded software in one city. An automotive SoC programme also needs functional safety (ISO 26262) and security skills, which are increasingly available in the city's automotive and Tier-1 engineering centres. The move also fits India's push to grow chip design, supported by the government's Design Linked Incentive scheme and the wider India Semiconductor Mission.
What has happened since (update, November 2026)
- October 2024: SiliconAuto was named among the first committed members of imec's Automotive Chiplet Program, announced on 10 October 2024 at the Automotive Chiplet Forum, alongside Arm, ASE, BMW Group, Bosch, Cadence, Siemens, Synopsys, Tenstorrent and Valeo. See our post on the imec Automotive Chiplet Program.
- 2024 to 2025: job postings for the Bengaluru site referred to work on the next generation of automotive SoCs and on chip design infrastructure, in line with the centre's stated role.
- March 2026: trade press (DIGITIMES) reported that SiliconAuto introduced its XMotiv M3 series of microcontroller units at Embedded World 2026 in Nuremberg, with Gene Liu describing the launch as part of a push to expand collaboration in Europe. Specifications, production dates and customers were not available to us, so treat details as reported, not confirmed.
We will add further updates as SiliconAuto publishes product and customer news.
FAQ
Who owns SiliconAuto?
Stellantis and Foxconn (Hon Hai Technology Group), in equal shares, as announced in June 2023.
Where is SiliconAuto based?
Its headquarters are in the Netherlands. The India Design Center is on Bangalore's Outer Ring Road.
What will the Bengaluru centre work on?
Semiconductor product design and SoC development for EVs, autonomous driving and connected cars, according to the company.
Your comments will be moderated before it appears here.