India is making significant strides in semiconductor technology, with Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw revealing that the country is developing 25 chipsets using indigenous intellectual property (IP).

These efforts are part of the Design-Linked Incentive (DLI) scheme, focusing on high-risk areas such as surveillance and Wi-Fi access. Vaishnaw emphasised that owning IP is vital for ensuring security and transitioning India from a services-oriented economy to a product-based one.

Thirteen projects are currently underway, spearheaded by the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) in Bangalore, while upcoming semiconductor fabs will manufacture these chips locally.

To foster talent and innovation, the government has supported 240 educational institutions with world-class chip design tools. Twenty chips developed by students are set to be taped out at the Semiconductor Laboratory in Mohali, boosting confidence and paving the way for training 85,000 skilled engineers over the next decade.

This initiative aligns with the broader "Chips to Startup" (C2S) program, which aims to democratize chip design across 300 organizations, including academic institutions and startups.

Additionally, India’s electronics production has grown fivefold and exports sixfold over the last decade, driven by the Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme.

This scheme has also generated 2.5 million jobs and is expected to double value addition within five years. Vaishnaw highlighted India's shift from import substitution to export-led growth in electronics under the "Make in India, Make for the World" initiative.

The country is also preparing for its first indigenous semiconductor chip launch by late 2025 under the Semicon India program. The chips will be manufactured at the Dholera fabrication plant in Gujarat, marking a milestone in India's journey toward semiconductor self-sufficiency. This project involves collaboration with TATA Electronics and Taiwan's Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation (PSMC).

In response to concerns about data privacy under the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act, Vaishnaw assured alignment with Supreme Court rulings and the RTI Act, ensuring public-interest data remains accessible.

MoneyControl Report