Infineon expanding in India for clean tech growth 

Infineon Technologies AG is a global semiconductor leader in power systems and loT, enabling game-changing solutions for green and efficient energy, clean and safe mobility, as well as smart and secure loT.

Infineon Technologies AG is a German semiconductor manufacturer (power semiconductors and integrated circuit manufacturer). It is the largest microcontroller manufacturer in the world, Europe’s largest semiconductor manufacturer and amongst the ten largest semiconductor manufacturers globally. Infineon consolidates global market and application demands to define its strategic direction in close collaboration with customers. 

The company collaborates actively with global leaders in EV chargers, solar inverters, and battery storage to enable cutting-edge renewable systems based on high-performance and reliable semiconductors. A key goal is also to support development in emerging markets, such as India and the Asia-Pacific region, to address local market needs while also contributing to a more resilient global supply chain. Currently, a significant portion of these systems is sourced from China. 

This global and local synergy enables customers to adopt new technologies more quickly. Field feedback confirms that, while requirements differ, a strong customer relationship and local presence enable Infineon to tailor and adapt solutions effectively. This is how Infineon is on the growth path, spreading its arms in India. The leaders of the company share key insights and strategies in talks with EPR. Let us hear them.

What role do wide-bandgap semiconductors like SiC play in enhancing the performance, efficiency and reliability of ESS deployments?

Marco Werr

In the past, product development was primarily driven by photovoltaic (PV) applications and was not tailored to the specific needs of energy storage. Today, we have introduced new products that are specifically designed for modern energy storage systems. Working closely with our systems teams, we actively capture customer requirements to support the development of next-generation storage solutions. A significant trend we observe is the shift towards wide-bandgap semiconductors, particularly silicon carbide (SiC), which offer substantial benefits in terms of efficiency and size. For instance, in turnkey solutions where all components must fit within a compact 20-foot container, SiC helps manage thermal energy more effectively. Its superior thermal performance and switching characteristics enable more compact and efficient system designs with fewer terminals based on higher power density but also with reduction in material for heat sink and passives (e.g. capacitors).

This ultimately leads to higher round-trip efficiency, which is crucial in energy storage applications. By embracing SiC and advanced system integration, we are enabling more scalable and efficient storage solutions.

What are the key go-to-market challenges and opportunities in aligning Infineon’s innovations with utility-scale BESS?

Marco Werr

There are many standards and systems in the market that may appear similar, but there are differences which set them apart. While the energy storage market continues to grow, consolidation is likely within the next five years. Our semiconductors have been deployed in several systems to shape the next generation of products to customer needs. We have dedicated system teams that input their application related findings in our PL to ensure differentiation for our end customers.

Specific solutions tailored for current energy storage demands are already available. Looking ahead, we are developing devices with higher power and voltage ratings to align with emerging requirements. A key trend is the shift from 250 kW to beyond 400 kW in string power conversion. Simply adding more modules increases cost, so the focus is on reducing system-level costs while ensuring performance and competitiveness on system level for our customers satisfaction.

Given the rising integration of EVs with the grid, how does the approach to EV charging infrastructure ensure both fast-charging capabilities and grid stability?

Kim Chang Min

Fast charging capability increases, and grid stability cannot go together because more chargers make the grid unstable. The rapid rise in EV adoption has outpaced the development of charging infrastructure, raising concerns about grid stability and charger reliability. As fast-charging capabilities improve, the grid often struggles to keep up, especially when multiple vehicles, ranging from two-wheelers to heavy-duty trucks, charge simultaneously. This highlights the need to consider our entire EV charging ecosystem, including a stable grid, high-efficiency chargers and ultra-high-efficiency power semiconductors.

Two to three years ago, the EV market expanded rapidly, but the focus among many charger manufacturers remained on volume rather than efficiency. As the market matures, a clear shift is underway toward developing reliable and energy-efficient charging solutions. We know that EV charging stations often operate under harsh conditions, running continuously to meet demand. This constant load stresses switching devices, making reliability a critical factor.

To address this, the industry is turning to high-reliability power semiconductors. Infineon has developed technology that enables the implementation of Silicon Carbide (SiC) called .XT in EV charging systems, significantly enhancing the performance and longevity of power devices by up to 10 times. This advancement not only improves the cost efficiency of EV infrastructure but also contributes to better grid stability. Supporting charger efficiency through advanced semiconductors is a fundamental pillar of a robust and scalable charging ecosystem.

What strategic innovation shift will Infineon make to boost clean energy adoption in emerging Asian markets?

Rajesh Nair

We have been closely studying this market and working with customers to address region-specific needs which differ from those in Europe. For instance, many Indian customers are using IGBT-based string inverters for roof top solar systems, but we are enabling a shift to more efficient silicon carbide-based systems. To accelerate adoption, we are developing a reference solution in collaboration with a local partner which helps reduce the time-to-market for Indian manufacturers. These systems, built on Infineon components, offer higher efficiency, better cost optimisation, and greater competitiveness, even against Chinese products. Additionally, we have  invested in a new fab in Indonesia to scale up silicon carbide mosfet production, improving affordability and supporting wider adoption. Another area we are investing is in creating local competencies for power electronics. We work with universities and academia to expose budding engineers to the latest technologies. This will eventually help the local industry to absorb these resources and churn out products based on latest technologies faster.

Kim Chang Min

Many Asian markets, including those in India and Korea, still heavily rely on Chinese products. To support local customers, we are implementing a regional strategy that focuses on sharing comprehensive reference designs, from microcontrollers to inductors. If customers like a design, we provide full technical details so they can manufacture it themselves. This approach, backed by our broad portfolio covering PV, inverters, EV chargers, ESS, and battery management systems, will prove to be one of the most effective ways to achieve market penetration in India.

How is Infineon adapting its applications and strategies to Asia-Pacific’s diverse renewable energy landscape?

Rajesh Nair

Being a long term player in the Asia Pacific renewable energy market, Infineon realises that it is a vast region with diverse market needs. Global strategies may not work directly here and hence we need to adapt and customise our go to market plans accordingly. We keep our customers’ needs at the core of these strategies and leverage on the local resources to execute them.

For example we form local partnerships, create customised business models and even enable niche local ecosystems to cater to the requirements of specific countries like India. Our country also provides huge opportunities for companies like Infineon – at one hand it offers a large chunk of technical resources from the abundant pool of qualified engineers. On the other hand it helps us to drive phenomenal growth for applications like PV string inverters driven by the huge local demand. 

Kim Chang Min

We are developing tailored strategies for the Indian market by investing in rapidly emerging technologies. Collaborating with national institutes, external designers and key partners, we aim to co-develop top-tier products. This aspect of our strategy focuses on connecting leading designers and developers with our industry customers. We refer to this initiative as partnership development, which plays a crucial role in our efforts to expand into the Indian market.

Marco Werr

Restructuring of the organisation from a silo organisation to a customer-centric organisation based on sales segments can help us better address the different markets of Infineon and cascade it to each region.

As we shape our global strategy, we consider insights from all regions to address diverse market needs. Through our sales segments, we analyse the customer’s entire system, optimising it with components such as microcontrollers or battery management systems in energy storage solutions.

Spokesperson:

Marco Werr, Global Application Manager- Energy Storage Systems, Infineon Technologies

Rajesh Nair, Senior Manager, Application Management – Infineon Technologies

Kim Chang Min, Marketing Director- Infineon Technologies Korea, Infineon Technologies