Bharat growing semiconductor ecosystem, stands as a lighthouse of stability: Ashwini Vaishnaw

By R Anil Kumar

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi presented with First set of Made-in-India Chips; Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw Calls It a Moment of Pride Thanking PM for his farsighted vision, strong will and decisive action

• From 7.8% GDP growth to a growing semiconductor ecosystem with 1st ‘Made in India’ chips — Bharat stands as a lighthouse of stability: Vaishnaw

• 12 MoUs announced In Semicon India 2025: Focus areas are to Develop Indigenous Capabilities in Design and Building products like Camera Modules, microphone buds, miniature packaging and talent development ecosystem

• Union Minister Announces Deep Tech Alliance with $1 Billion Commitment to Drive Semiconductor Revolution in Clean Energy, Quantum and Frontier Sectors

• ISM 2.0 to Focus on Making India a Product Nation After Building Robust Ecosystem in the first phase in form of Fabs, OSAT, Capital Equipment and Materials

• India’s Semiconductor Production Already 15–30% More Cost Competitive Globally: Vaishnaw

New Delhi. India’s semiconductor journey reached a historic milestone as the first set of Made-in-India chips from a pilot line was presented to the Hon’ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi by Union Minister of Electronics and Information Technology, Ashwini Vaishnaw.

Launched in December 2021, the India Semiconductor Mission has achieved the transition from approvals to production in just three and a half years, a feat described by the Union Minister as a moment of pride thanking the Prime Minister for his farsighted vision, strong will and decisive action.

Vaishnaw also said that, from 7.8% GDP growth to a growing semiconductor ecosystem with 1st ‘Made in India’ chips- Bharat stands as a lighthouse of stability:

Vaishnaw emphasized that India’s semiconductor mission is built on trust respecting intellectual property rights, supporting supply chain development, and promoting co-development models with global partners. “India has always gone to the world as a partner, fostering mutual growth and win-win collaborations,” he said, adding that this trusted position is one of India’s strongest advantages in the global value chain.

12 Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) were announced during Semicon India 2025. These agreements focus on enhancing product development, expanding service capabilities, and strengthening the skill development sector, with the aim of building a self-reliant and future-ready semiconductor ecosystem in the country.

To further strengthen innovation, Vaishnaw announced the formation of the Deep Tech Alliance, with close to a billion dollars already committed. Initially focusing on semiconductors, the Alliance will expand to other frontier sectors such as clean energy, biotechnology, quantum technologies, and space.

The Minister said this would provide much-needed venture capital support for emerging deep tech industries.

The Union Minister stated that the Semiconductor Laboratory, Mohali modernization programme is progressing well, aimed at increasing production levels, enabling new product tape-outs, and strengthening India’s high-value, mid-volume manufacturing capacity.

Building on the success of ISM 1.0, the Government is also preparing to launch ISM 2.0, which will broaden support for fabs, OSAT units, capital equipment, and materials to cover the entire semiconductor value chain.

The Union Minister stated that exports will be an integral part of the ten approved projects, ensuring that chips made in India will serve both domestic and global markets.

Independent studies indicate that semiconductor production in India is already 15–30% more cost-competitive compared to global benchmarks. Vaishnaw underlined that India never rushed through project approvals but ensured professional assessment for sustainable progress.

With two fabs already in place and more in the pipeline, India is building momentum in an industry where, once the foundation is set, growth accelerates exponentially.

At SEMICON India 2025, every major global stakeholder in the semiconductor ecosystem, including equipment and material leaders such as ASML, Lam Research, Applied Materials, Merck, and Tokyo Electron, marked their presence.

Vaishnaw said that their participation reflected the strong confidence the world has in India’s semiconductor mission, steered under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

In a unique initiative, 20 chips designed and manufactured by Indian students at the Semi-Conductor Laboratory (SCL) were also presented to the Prime Minister.

Vaishnaw informed that with 78 universities across the country using advanced EDA tools, India is creating a deep talent pool that already accounts for nearly 20% of the global semiconductor workforce. Talent development and innovation, he said, remain at the heart of the Mission.

India is also nurturing its design and startup ecosystem, with more than 28 startups moving from project to product. Recent MoUs cover complete IoT chipsets and camera systems, while institutions such as IIT Madras have released indigenous microcontrollers and processors.

The Design Linked Incentive (DLI) scheme has generated a portfolio of valuable IPs, and 25 priority products have been identified for development.

With an industry projection of USD 1 trillion by 2030 and India’s strong positioning in talent, trust, and technology, the nation is poised to emerge as a global leader in semiconductors, delivering on the Prime Minister’s vision of making India the semiconductor hub for the world.

MOUs / Announcements at SEMICON India 2025

1. MoU between Tata Electronics and Merck to strengthen Semiconductor Capabilities in India in the area of manufacturing and packaging
2. MoU between Tata Electronics and Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC_ to develop domestic semiconductor design and IP ecosystem
3. Announcement to kickoff joint development of India’s first fully localized automative camera module, launched by Kaynes Semicon in collaboration with SPARSH-IQ. 3rdiTech, Focally and SenseSemi Technologies
4. Announcement to deliver India’s first MEMs Microphone & Advanced Semiconductor Packages by Kaynes Semicon in collaboration with Infineon
5. Announcement to kickoff for joint development for Make-in-India Secure Chip, embedded with Smart Operating System , designed to power the next generation of digital identity solution – such as electronic passports – built on a scalable security architecture by L&T Semiconductor in collaboration with IIT Gandhinagar and C-DAC
6. MoU between L&T Semiconductor and IISc Bangalore to build a National Innovation Hub for semiconductor research and quantum leadership
7. Unveiling of India’s 1st IoT Evolution Board integrating the indigenous VEGA processor by C-DAC with Bluetooth and LoRa connectivity by Indiesemic – A woman co-led domestic startup at Gujarat
8. MoU between NIELIT and Singapore Semiconductor Industry Association (SSIA) to promote semiconductor skilling, industry academia linkages, and capacity building in semiconductor technologies
9. MoU between ISM and New Age Makers Institute of Technology (NAMTECH) to establish a collaborating framework to build a future-ready talent pipeline for India’s rapidly growing semiconductor ecosystem, while advancing applied research and innovation in line with ISM’s national roadmap
10. MoU between the Arizona State University and India Semiconductor Mission (ISM) on scientific and educational collaboration
11. MoU among C-DAC, Synopsys, and IIT Madras Pravartak to provide flexible access of Synopsys IPs to approved companies under the DLI Scheme
12. Announcement on availability of design infrastructure support to approved companies under the DLI scheme which includes the following:

IP core from

1. a) ITC Korea
2. b) Secure IC
3. c) Cadence Design Systems
4. d) Analogue Bits

EDA tools from

1. a) Sim Yog Technologies
2. b) Cadre design systems

Post Silicon Validation services from

1. a) Emerson Global
2. b) Smartsoc Solutions
3. c) Cyient Semiconductor

About SEMICON India

SEMICON India is one of eight annual SEMICON expositions worldwide hosted by SEMI that bring together executives and leading experts in the global semiconductor design and manufacturing ecosystem.

The upcoming event marks the beginning of an exciting journey into the future of technological innovation, fostering collaboration and sustainability in the global semiconductor ecosystem.

About SEMI

SEMI is the global industry association connecting over 3,000 member companies and 1.5 million professionals worldwide across the semiconductor and electronics design and manufacturing supply chain.

They accelerate member collaboration on solutions to top industry challenges through Advocacy, Workforce Development, Sustainability, Supply Chain Management and other programs.

About ISM

The India Semiconductor Mission (ISM) is an independent institution under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Government of India. It is the nodal agency for the Semicon India Programme to develop a sustainable and globally competitive semiconductor and display manufacturing ecosystem in India. ISM is responsible for evaluating proposals, facilitating technology partnerships, coordinating with central and state governments, and managing fiscal incentive disbursals. The mission’s core objective is to establish India as a trusted global hub for semiconductor and electronics manufacturing, ensuring economic security and technological self-reliance.