India accelerates chip design ecosystem with 23 projects sanctioned under DLI Scheme

New Delhi [India], July 31 (ANI): The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) announced the sanction of 23 chip-design projects for financial support under the Design Linked Incentive (DLI) Scheme.

According to a press release by the ministry, the initiative is part of the Rs 76,000 crore Semicon India Programme, which aims to strengthen the domestic semiconductor ecosystem by empowering startups, MSMEs, and academic institutions engaged in chip design.

Launched in December 2021, the DLI Scheme has an outlay of Rs 1,000 crore and supports domestic companies, startups, and MSMEs in semiconductor design.

It offers financial incentives of up to 50 per cent of eligible costs (capped at ₹15 crore per application) for prototyping and commercialisation, as well as 4 to 6 per cent incentives on net sales turnover for five years (capped at Rs 30 crore).

To date, 278 academic institutions and 72 startups have been granted access to advanced Electronic Design Automation (EDA) tools and IP cores essential for chip design and early-stage prototyping.

Notably, 23 startups and firms have received financial support to develop chips for applications ranging from surveillance cameras and energy meters to networking solutions and microprocessor IPs.

Of these, 10 companies have already secured venture capital funding to scale up their designs for market readiness, while six firms have completed prototype tape-outs at various global semiconductor foundries.

And recently, 20 chip designs from 17 institutions have been successfully fabricated at the Semiconductor Laboratory (SCL) in Mohali. These successes reflect growing momentum in India's chip design capabilities across commercial and academic sectors.

The total sanctioned project outlay under the DLI Scheme now stands at Rs 803.08 crore, including the cost of EDA tools. All projects are progressing through defined milestones, with fund disbursement linked to measurable development and deployment stages. (ANI)

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