Shaping The Future Chip By Chip

Shaping The Future Chip By Chip 4 Sep 2025

Shaping The Future Chip By Chip

The Semicon India Summit 2025 was inaugurated where over 500 global industry leaders from 48 countries are participating.

Significance of Semicon India Summit 2025

  • The Semicon India Summit 2025 reflects India’s growing global role.
  • Participation rose from about 100 global leaders last year to more than 500 industry leaders from 48 countries this year.
  • Dedicated pavilions from Japan, South Korea, Singapore, and Malaysia will foster meaningful collaborations.
  • The world is coming to India because of Bharat’s steady rise as a hope for global stability amidst uncertainty.

Importance of Semiconductors in the Digital Age

  • Critical Role: Control over critical resources shapes global power, and in the digital age, semiconductors have assumed this role.
  • Expansion in Use: With over 65 crore smartphone users and electronics manufacturing touching ₹12 lakh crore annually, India’s consumption and production of electronics is expanding at an unprecedented pace.
  • Rise in demand: The rise of AI-based systems, data centres, and electric vehicles further increases the demand for semiconductor chips, making it essential for India to secure its place in the global semiconductor value chain.

India’s Semiconductor Breakthrough

  • India Semiconductor Mission: Under the India Semiconductor Mission, 10 semiconductor plants have been approved and construction is progressing rapidly.
    • The first “Made in India” chip will be produced this year, with a pilot production line already operational in Sanand
    • Four more units are expected to begin production within a year.
  • Global leaders such as Applied Materials, Lam Research, Merck, and Linde are investing in supporting factories and supply chains, showing confidence in India’s ecosystem approach.

Factors responsible for India’s success in Semiconductors

  • Skill Development: Policies and investments are centred around Bharat’s biggest edge — its people.
    • India accounts for more than 20% of the global semiconductor design workforce.
    • With the world facing a projected shortage of over one million semiconductor professionals by the next decade, India is preparing to bridge this gap.
    • India has moved from being a bystander in history to becoming a driver of the future, leveraging its strong design and talent pool.
  • Electronic Design Automation (EDA) tools: More than 60,000 users across 350 institutions and start-ups are accessing world-class Electronic Design Automation (EDA) tools provided free by the Government of India, with usage crossing 1.2 crore hours in 2025 alone.
  • Cooperation: Global cooperation and strong support from state governments have complemented the process.
  • Role of Start-Ups and Innovation
    • Start-ups are energising India’s chip design ecosystem with strong government support under the Design Linked Incentive (DLI) Scheme.
      • Mindgrove Technologies is developing IoT chips using the indigenously created SHAKTI processor from IIT Madras.
      • Netrasemi recently secured ₹107 crore in funding, the largest VC infusion in India’s semiconductor design space, reflecting rising investor confidence.
  • Talent Development at Semiconductor Laboratory (SCL)
    • At SCL Mohali, students from 17 institutes have already produced 20 chips, with more expected in the coming months.
    • SCL is being modernised to support young innovators, enabling talent to move seamlessly from classrooms to cleanrooms.
    • This focus on training and research will position India strongly in the global semiconductor industry.
  • Global Collaboration in Talent and R&D
    • International leaders are also investing in India’s talent
    • Lam Research will train 60,000 engineers in India.
    • Applied Materials, AMD, and Microchip are committing $1.1 billion for R&D in India.
    • Partnerships with IISc, IITs, and other premier institutes are strengthening the lab-to-fab workforce.
    • India is collaborating with partners in the US, Japan, EU, and Singapore to develop future-ready talent, ensuring that Bharat builds not just for itself, but for the world.

Semiconductor Journey In India

  • India’s semiconductor push is part of the larger vision of Digital India.
  • Initiatives such as India Stack, UPI, Aadhaar, and telecom networks gave citizens digital access and empowered them.
  • Parallel efforts strengthened the electronics production ecosystem, and now focus is on developing the semiconductor manufacturing ecosystem, including electronic components and equipment.

Towards a “Product Nation”

  • India’s goal is to transform into a “product nation” by leveraging semiconductor output.
  • Chips manufactured in India will serve critical sectors such as telecom, automotive, data centres, consumer electronics, and industrial electronics, both for India and the world.
  • Over the next decade, as India’s semiconductor units achieve maturity and scale, the country is poised to emerge as a competitive global hub for the semiconductor value chain.
Mains Practice

Q. Semiconductors are the backbone of the digital economy. Despite progress under the India Semiconductor Mission, India struggles to build a resilient chip ecosystem. Discuss the key challenges and measures needed to make India a global leader in the semiconductor value chain.  (10 Marks, 150 words)

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हिंदी में भी उपलब्ध
Quick Revise Now !
UDAAN PRELIMS WALLAH
Comprehensive coverage with a concise format
Integration of PYQ within the booklet
Designed as per recent trends of Prelims questions
हिंदी में भी उपलब्ध

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