India Likely To Unveil Its First Indigenous Chip By December: Jitin Prasada

Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology, Jitin Prasada, has reportedly said that the country’s first homegrown chip is expected to be launched by the end of this year.

“The first packaged chip is expected to be out by December 2025,” the minister was quoted as saying in an ANI report.

He also underlined the status of India’s nascent yet progressing semiconductor ecosystem.

Prasada reportedly said that the government has laid a pathway towards an India that will build chips for the world, aligned across the supply chain, from assembly/testing to design, and manufacturing to exports.

Union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw first unveiled the vision of the ‘Made in India’ chip during his address at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, in January, highlighting India’s goal to launch its first-ever chip by year-end.

Following this, reports surfaced that Kaynes Semicon, a subsidiary of electronics manufacturing company Kaynes Technologies, was reportedly planning to deliver India’s first packaged semiconductor chip by July this year. However, it is unclear if the target was met.

Inside India’s Growing Semiconductor Push

India has been actively working to build a strong domestic semiconductor ecosystem to cut dependence on imports and strengthen its role in the global electronics value chain. Aligned with this vision, the Union Cabinet approved four new projects worth INR 4,594 Cr under the India Semiconductor Mission (ISM) last week.

Two of the projects will be in Bhubaneswar in Odisha, and one each will be in Punjab and Andhra Pradesh.

Meanwhile, minister for electronics and information technology Ashwini Vaishnaw, last week, said that the country is developing a commercial-scale silicon-based fabrication facility with an above average capacity of 50,000 wafer-starts per month.

“Six semiconductor units, one fab and five assembly, testing, marking and packaging units, are at different stages of planning, construction and execution. Four more (one silicon carbide fab and three ATMP including the most advanced packaging unit) were approved last week. The entire ecosystem – design, fabrication, packaging, equipment, chemicals, gases – taking shape in Bharat,” the minister had said in an X post.

India’s Chip Ambitions: How Far Has It Come?

The Centre launched the ISM in December 2021, aimed at establishing a self-reliant and vibrant semiconductor ecosystem in India. It was approved with a total financial outlay of INR 76,000 Cr.

The ISM aims to provide financial support for investments in semiconductor fabrication, display manufacturing & chip design to strengthen India’s integration into global electronics value chains.

Amitesh Kumar Sinha was named as the new chief executive officer of the ISM in April, weeks after reports surfaced that the government is internally discussing plans for the rollout of the second phase of the ISM, while also mulling “supporting” chip design projects in the country and semiconductor packaging designs.

At the heart of all this is the homegrown semiconductor market, which, as per Inc42, is expected to become a $150 Bn opportunity by 2030.