India has marked a significant milestone in its semiconductor journey, with 7 chips successfully fabricated out of 16 designs taped out across multiple foundries, including advanced nodes such as 12 nm at TSMC, the government informed the Lok Sabha.
The update forms part of the progress detailed by the government under the Design-Linked Incentive (DLI) scheme, which aims to strengthen the country’s chip design ecosystem and support domestic innovation.
The government highlighted that 24 projects have been approved for the design of semiconductor chips and SoCs with a total project value of ₹900 crore, covering sectors such as video surveillance, drone detection, energy metering, microprocessors, satellite communications, and broadband and IoT solutions.
In addition, 100 fabless chip design companies have been supported with access to advanced chip design infrastructure, cumulatively utilising 55 lakh hours of tool usage, reflecting growing participation from India’s startup and design community.
The ministry emphasised the technological significance of the fabrication milestone, noting that the chips were produced across multiple global foundries, including advanced manufacturing processes such as 12 nm at Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), underscoring the programme’s alignment with global semiconductor standards.
Beyond fabrication, the initiative has also generated intellectual property momentum, with 10 patents filed and more than 140 reusable semiconductor IP cores developed, serving as critical enablers for future chip design.
Investment activity has also gained traction, as 13 companies secured venture capital funding to scale and productise their solutions, catalysing private investment at more than a three-times multiple of the incentives disbursed.
The government reiterated its commitment to deepening the semiconductor design ecosystem, stating that the Union Budget 2026–27 has announced the launch of Semicon 2.0, signalling continued policy focus on building a self-reliant electronics manufacturing base.
