India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation has achieved a landmark breakthrough in semiconductor technology with the successful development of indigenous Gallium Nitride-based Monolithic Microwave Integrated Circuit technology for high-frequency defence systems, Economic Times reported.

At the centre of this achievement is Dr Meena Mishra, director of the Solid State Physics Laboratory, who has led the team that built this capability despite the technology being denied to India by other countries.

The Ministry of Defence highlighted the achievement in its annual report for 2025–26, noting that the indigenous GaN technology can support next-generation radar, electronic warfare, communications, and unmanned platforms.

A single chip measuring just 3.5 mm by 3 mm can deliver up to 30 watts of power while operating at speeds up to 300 times faster than silicon, making it a decisive leap in India’s semiconductor capability for defence.

Gallium Nitride is a semiconductor material suited to applications where electronics must operate at high frequencies and handle significant power. These characteristics are vital for systems that generate, amplify, receive, and control high-frequency signals, including radar transmitters, electronic warfare equipment, and communications systems.

GaN components are particularly relevant to active electronically scanned array radars, electronic warfare jammers, and other military systems where compact, high-performance electronics are essential.

In defence systems, GaN semiconductor components manage high-frequency electrical signals. In AESA radars, transmit and receive modules allow electronic beam control without mechanical movement.

GaN-based components enable higher-power signals, improved efficiency, and reduced size and weight. The same technology is used in electronic warfare systems to detect, interfere with, or respond to adversary signals.

The Solid State Physics Laboratory has developed indigenous processes for producing four-inch silicon carbide wafers and fabricating GaN High Electron Mobility Transistors.

These have been rated up to 150 watts, while MMICs have been rated up to 40 watts for X-band applications. Limited production capability for GaN-on-SiC MMICs has been established at the Gallium Arsenide Enabling Technology Centre in Hyderabad.

The Ministry of Defence has emphasised that GaN and silicon carbide technology provides improved efficiency, reduced size and weight, and enhanced performance for future combat systems, radars, electronic warfare equipment, and communications.

Applications extend across fighter aircraft, naval vessels, ground-based air-defence systems, missiles, drones, and other unmanned platforms. Beyond defence, multifunctional MMICs have applications in strategic systems, space, aerospace, 5G, and satellite communications.

The significance of this development lies in its strategic independence. GaN technology is considered sensitive, and exports are restricted by several countries. India had previously relied on imports for most GaN components, creating vulnerabilities in defence supply chains. Indigenous capability ensures that Indian defence platforms are no longer dependent on overseas suppliers for critical semiconductor components.

The Innovations for Defence Excellence program has supported this effort. In December 2023, the Ministry signed a contract with Agnit Semiconductors Private Limited to design and develop advanced GaN components for next-generation wireless transmitters used in radars and electronic warfare jammers. This reflects the growing role of Indian Start-Ups in strengthening the country’s defence technology base.

India’s entry into the GaN technology club places it among a select group of nations with indigenous capabilities in advanced semiconductor technology for defence.

The achievement led by Dr Meena Mishra and her team at SSPL is not only a scientific milestone but also a strategic step towards self-reliance, enabling India to modernise its defence platforms and expand export potential in high-technology systems.

Agencies