India Develops 25 Indigenous Chipsets with C-DAC Leadership
In a significant stride towards technological self-reliance, India has embarked on the development of 25 indigenous chipsets, spearheaded by the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) in Bengaluru. This initiative is being executed through 13 ongoing projects, showcasing India’s commitment to bolstering its capabilities in semiconductor innovation.
Highlighting the national strategic approach, Union Minister for Railways and Electronics and IT, Ashwini Vaishnaw, emphasized the importance of owning intellectual property for security and transitioning India from a service-centric to a product-centric nation. The minister assured that forthcoming semiconductor fabrication plants will focus on producing these chipsets domestically.
The government’s comprehensive revamping of the country’s semiconductor design landscape involves more than 300 organizations, including 250 academic institutions and 65 startups. This revolution is driven by a desire to foster creativity, allowing individuals with the necessary skills from anywhere in India to participate in semiconductor chip design. This initiative, aligned with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision, underscores the significance of ‘Design in India’ alongside ‘Make in India’.
The “Chips to Startup” (C2S) program forms the crux of this vision, aiming to address various segments of the electronics value chain. The C2S initiative’s goals are to provide specialized training, create a repository of reusable IPs, design systems and components such as ASICs and FPGAs, and enable academia and R&D organizations to deploy these innovations. By leveraging the expertise available at startups and MSMEs, the program seeks to foster a sustainable ecosystem of semiconductor expertise within the country.
With the ambitious target of generating 85,000 industry-ready professionals at BTech, MTech, and PhD levels, the C2S program offers a comprehensive curriculum. Students are given hands-on experience in chip design, fabrication, and testing, ensuring the cultivation of a workforce ready to meet the demands of the growing semiconductor sector.
As part of the C2S initiative, a ‘ChipIN Centre’ has been established at C-DAC. This facility, one of the largest of its kind, is tailored to provide cutting-edge infrastructure and resources directly to the country’s semiconductor design community, promoting collaboration and innovation.
In February, the focus on developing skilled professionals was furthered by the inauguration of a new Centre of Excellence (CoE) in chip design. This CoE, located at the National Institute of Electronics and Information Technology’s (NIELIT) Noida campus, addresses the mounting demand for expertise in semiconductor and chip design industries.
The momentum in India’s semiconductor landscape signifies a deliberate effort to secure a stronghold in the global tech arena, promoting indigenous innovation and strengthening national security. With concerted efforts in education, infrastructure, and R&D, India’s vision of becoming a global leader in semiconductor manufacturing seems within reach.
