India Pushes Semiconductor Growth with New Chip Design Initiatives
Photo Credit: PIB
The Government of India is taking a major step in strengthening its semiconductor ecosystem by making chip design more accessible to innovators, startups, and students. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) is driving this transformation through a series of strategic initiatives aimed at fostering domestic semiconductor expertise. These efforts align with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision that “Design in India is as important as Make in India,” emphasizing the need for self-reliance in semiconductor technology.
Empowering India’s Semiconductor Talent
The Chips to Startup (C2S) Programme is a key initiative that aims to train 85,000 industry-ready professionals at the B.Tech, M.Tech, and Ph.D. levels with specialized skills in chip design. The program provides hands-on experience in semiconductor design, fabrication, and testing, enabling students to work with cutting-edge tools and access semiconductor foundries. Additionally, the ChipIN Centre, established at C-DAC, serves as a centralized hub offering advanced design facilities, allowing innovators to work on chip technologies up to the 5nm node.
Winners of the ‘Analog & Digital Design Hackathons’ Announced
On March 20, 2025, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced the winners of the “Analog & Digital Design Hackathons,” which saw participation from 2,210 teams and 10,040 students. The competition, organized in collaboration with AMD, Synopsys, and CoreEL Technologies, focused on solving real-world semiconductor challenges.
Winners of the Analog Design Hackathon:
- 1st Prize: Team Intuition – IIT Delhi
- 2nd Prize: Team Analog Edge – NIT Rourkela
- 3rd Prize: Team FETManiacs – IIT Guwahati
Winners of the Digital Design Hackathon:
- 1st Prize: Team RISCB – IIT Bombay
- 2nd Prize: Team Silicon Scripters – Saveetha Engineering College
- 3rd Prize: Team Daedalus – IIT (BHU Varanasi)
Indigenous Chip Development: BLDC Controller Chip
As part of its efforts to boost local semiconductor manufacturing, the government has awarded M/s Vervesemi Microelectronics Pvt. Ltd. the task of developing an indigenous BLDC Motor Controller Chip. Notably, 90% of its Bill of Materials (BOM) will be sourced from India, making it a step towards self-reliance. The chip, designed for power and control solutions, will be priced under $1.50 and has a scalability potential of 10 million units per year.
Launch of ‘Digital India RISC-V (DIR-V) Grand Challenge’
The government also launched the Digital India RISC-V (DIR-V) Grand Challenge, which will invite applications from April 10, 2025. The challenge, powered by VEGA Processors from C-DAC and SHAKTI Processors from IIT Madras, will encourage innovators to develop new semiconductor applications. Industry leaders like Renesas, LTSC, CoreEL Technologies, and Bharat Electronics are supporting the initiative.
Building a Self-Reliant Semiconductor Ecosystem
Vaishnaw also emphasized that India must transition from being a service-based economy to a product-driven nation. He stressed the importance of inclusive participation from academia, startups, and researchers in semiconductor development. With initiatives like C2S and DIR-V, India is positioning itself as a global leader in chip design and innovation.
Source: PIB
