Semicon India Programme driving full-scale chip ecosystem, says MoS IT Jitin Prasada

New Delhi [India], December 12 (ANI): The Government's ambitious Semicon India Programme is rapidly building a complete semiconductor ecosystem, from design and fabrication to assembly, testing and packaging, Union Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology Jitin Prasada informed the Rajya Sabha on Friday.

He said the strategy draws inspiration from the Prime Minister's vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat and Make in India, Make for the World, acknowledging semiconductors as a foundational pillar of India's economic future.

The minister said in a written reply that ten units have been approved under the Semicon India Programme, attracting investments worth Rs 1.6 lakh crore across silicon fabs, silicon carbide fabs, advanced packaging and memory packaging facilities.

These units will serve critical sectors including consumer electronics, automotive, telecom, industrial electronics, aerospace and power electronics. Several proposals are also leveraging indigenous technology for chip assembly, testing and packaging--marking a significant step toward domestic capability building.

Prasada highlighted the substantial impact of the Government's production-linked incentives (PLI) in electronics manufacturing. The PLI for large-scale electronics manufacturing, focused on mobile phones and key components, has drawn Rs 14,065 crore in investments as of October 2025. The PLI for IT hardware, aimed at boosting production of laptops, tablets, servers and USFF devices, has garnered Rs 846 crore in investments.

These interventions have led to a dramatic expansion of India's electronics sector. Manufacturing output has grown sixfold over the past 11 years--from Rs 1.9 lakh crore in 2014-15 to Rs 11.32 lakh crore in 2024-25. Electronics exports, now India's third-largest export category, have surged eightfold, rising from Rs 38,000 crore to Rs 3.26 lakh crore during the same period.

To further strengthen India's position in semiconductor design, the Government's Design Linked Incentive (DLI) Scheme has supported 23 companies (24 chip and SoC designs) spanning satellite communication, drones, IoT devices, surveillance systems, LED drivers, AI devices, smart meters and telecom equipment. Additionally, free access to EDA design tools has been extended to 94 startups, facilitating nearly 47 lakh hours of design activity.

A major thrust is also being placed on building a robust semiconductor talent pipeline. Through the Chips to Startup (C2S) Programme, advanced design tools have been provided to 397 universities and startups, enabling students to design and fabricate 56 chips at the Semiconductor Laboratory (SCL), Mohali. Over 67,000 students and researchers have been trained in chip design.

The AICTE has introduced new academic offerings--including B.Tech in Electronics Engineering (VLSI Design), a Diploma in IC Manufacturing, and a Minor in VLSI Design and Technology--to align educational pathways with industry needs.

The SMART Lab at NIELIT Calicut has already trained more than 62,000 engineers, aiming for a nationwide capacity of 1 lakh trainees.

In a significant industry-academia collaboration, the Indian Semiconductor Mission (ISM) has partnered with Lam Research to train 60,000 professionals over the next decade in nanofabrication and process engineering--skills critical for ATMP and advanced packaging operations.

The Minister also highlighted the FutureSkills PRIME initiative, a MeitY-NASSCOM collaboration designed to upskill India's digital workforce in emerging technologies, including semiconductors, through flexible online learning aligned with industry requirements.

Prasada emphasised that the combined impact of infrastructure creation, incentives, design support and talent development is positioning India as a global semiconductor hub, capable of meeting both domestic demand and international market opportunities. (ANI)

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