Business

Semicon 2.0 targets 200 chip design firms

By Sohail Khan 17 September 2026, 11:48 am

Benchmarks
Nifty23,307.7090.11

FEATURED FUNDS★★★★★

Motilal Oswal Midcap Fund Direct-Growth

5Y Return
22 %

Invest Now

Enter search text:

Business News›Industry›Cons. Products›Electronics›Semicon India 2.0 targets 200 chip design startups, 1 lakh technicians, Ashwini Vaishnaw says

Read Today's Paper

Semicon India 2.0 targets 200 chip design startups, 1 lakh technicians, Ashwini Vaishnaw says
Synopsis

Semicon India 2.0 aims to support 200 chip design startups and companies. This initiative will also develop one lakh new semiconductor technicians and industry-ready talent. The program focuses on six pillars, including chip design, equipment, fabs, and research. India has already achieved its initial engineer training target ahead of schedule. The government is now expanding its focus to technicians and factory-floor workforce development.

Listen to this article in summarized format

Loading…
×
×

Unlock AI Briefing and Premium Content

New Year Offer 24 Hours Left
Already a member? Sign In

What's Included

Exclusive Stories
Daily ePaper Access
Smart Market Tools
Curated Investment Ideas
Ad-lite Experience
Subscription

Semicon India 2.0 to target at least 200 chip-design startups, companies: Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw — Semicon India 2.0 aims to foster at least two hundred chip design startups and companies. The initiative will concentrate on machines, materials, and advanced packaging units.

Semicon India 2.0 will target at least 200 startups and companies designing chips in India, while also creating a new pool of 1 lakh semiconductor technicians and other industry-ready talent, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said on Thursday.

“In SEMICON 2.0, we would be targeting at least 200 startups and companies which design chips in India across the spectrum of semiconductor requirements,” Vaishnaw said at Semicon India 2026.

Also Read: India’s Semicon 2.0 should go beyond chip fabs, focus on design, packaging: Chris Miller

The target builds on the first phase of the government’s semiconductor programme, under which 105 startups participated and around 20 received venture capital funding totalling about Rs 800 crore, he said.

Semicon 2.0, approved by the Union Cabinet in July with an outlay of Rs 1.275 lakh crore, is structured around six pillars covering chip design, semiconductor equipment and materials, fabs, advanced packaging, research and development, and talent development.

The second pillar will focus on machines and materials. Vaishnaw said the USD 5 billion investment announced at the event would help generate employment in India.

The third pillar will focus on setting up more fabs, covering silicon semiconductor wafer fabs, compound semiconductor and photonics facilities, sensors and display fabs. The fourth will further strengthen India's ATMP and OSAT ecosystem, including advanced packaging capabilities.

“We already have a 3D packaging unit coming up in Odisha,” Vaishnaw said.

The fifth pillar will focus on research and development, with projects aimed at addressing advanced industry requirements through closer collaboration between companies and academia.

“This will be fully driven by the industry and academia, absolutely working in harmony and in synchronisation. It won't be an isolated kind of R&D. It will be a very applied kind of R&D that we would be looking at,” he said.

1 lakh new semiconductor talent

The sixth pillar will focus on talent development, with the government now shifting greater attention towards the technicians and factory-floor workforce needed as semiconductor manufacturing expands in India.

Vaishnaw said Semicon India 1.0 had set a target of training 85,000 design engineers over 10 years, but the target had already been achieved in four years.

“In Semicon 2.0, we will take a big task of developing technician talent, the clean room talent, the factory floor talent, and we will be targeting 1 lakh talent to be developed,” he said.

Also Read: From phones to fabs: India is building its semiconductor muscle

The new talent pool will be employed directly in semiconductor factories being established in India and will also contribute to a global pool of skilled workers, Vaishnaw said.

The government had said in August that India had achieved the target of developing 85,000 semiconductor engineers in four years against the original 10-year timeline. It has now set a target of developing another 1 lakh engineers.

From design to manufacturing

Semicon India 2.0 is intended to build on the semiconductor ecosystem established under the first phase of the programme and expand India's capabilities across the value chain.

Under Semicon India 1.0, the government approved 12 semiconductor projects. Three of those units have since commenced commercial production, according to the government.

The broader Semicon 2.0 framework aims to strengthen capabilities spanning chip design, fabrication, packaging, equipment, materials, research and development and talent.

SEMICON India 2026, being held from September 17 to 19 at Yashobhoomi in New Delhi, is themed “Silicon to Systems: Building the Ecosystem”. The three-day event is jointly organised by the India Semiconductor Mission, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology and SEMI, the global semiconductor industry association.

The event brings together more than 600 exhibitors, including 300 international companies, along with more than 150 speakers and delegations from over 40 countries. The exhibition spans more than 15,000 square metres and includes country and state pavilions, as well as dedicated programmes for startups, students and workforce development.

The event is also showcasing India's progress under the first phase of the semiconductor programme as the government seeks to move from building individual manufacturing facilities towards creating a broader, integrated semiconductor ecosystem.

Add as a Reliable and Trusted News Source
Add Now!

(You can now subscribe to our WhatsApp channel)

(Catch all the Business News, Breaking News and Latest News Updates on The .)

…moreless

(You can now subscribe to our WhatsApp channel)

Read More News on
Semicon India 2.0Ashwini Vaishnawsemiconductor startupschip designSemicon India 2026talent development in semiconductorstech industry employment

(Catch all the Business News, Breaking News and Latest News Updates on The .)

…moreless

Enter search text:

Continue reading with one of these options:
Limited Access
Free
Login to get access to some exclusive stories

& personalised newsletters
Login Now

Unlimited Access
Starting @ Rs120/month
Get access to exclusive stories, expert opinions &

in-depth stock reports
Subscribe Now

Unlock Access to All Exclusives with ETPrime FREE TRIAL

15 Days Free: Unlock All ETPrime Exclusives, Market Tools & ePapers

Trial offer expiring in00 : 05 : 00

I'd rather pay ₹2599 now

Uh-oh! This is an exclusive story available for selected readers only.

Worry not. You’re just a step away.

Prime Account Detected!

It seems like you're already an ETPrime member with

Log out of your current logged-in account and log in again using your ET Prime credentials to enjoy all member benefits.

Unlock ETPrime's Exclusive Stories Today!

Subscribe to gain powerful insights on business, stock market and industry trends.

Big Price Drop! Flat 40% Off

Student Only Offer

Already a Member? Sign In now

Already a Member? Sign In now
Already a Member? Sign In now

Offer Exclusively For You

Save up to Rs. 700/-

ON ET PRIME MEMBERSHIP

Avail Offer

Offer Exclusively For You

Get 1 Year Free

With 1 and 2-Year ET prime membership

Avail Offer

Offer Exclusively For You

Get 1 Year Free

With 1 and 2-Year ET prime membership

Avail Offer

Offer Exclusively For You

Get Flat 40% Off

Then ₹ 1749 for 1 year

Avail Offer

Offer Exclusively For You

ET Prime at ₹ 49 for 1 month

Then ₹ 1749 for 1 year

Avail Offer

Special Offer

Get flat 40% off on ETPrime

Avail Offer
Avail Offer

Claim NowAlready a Member? Sign In now

Need Assistance?

Connect with an ETPrime expert for personalized support and guidance

+91 9484700004

' + h3 + '

' + h4 + '

' + listing + '

What’s Included with

ETPrime Membership

1Exclusive Insights That Matter

Uncover the truth with our investigative stories

Make strategic moves using the real-world case studies

Read industry-specific stories to identify emerging trends

Spot opportunities with in-depth insights that matter

Trump temper on H-1B visas is forcing Indians to do these things to stay put in US

What Adani’s US indictment means for India Inc’s overseas fundraising
Why veterans like Reliance, L&T are on acquisition spree? Aswath Damodaran has an answer.

Will China’s dollar bond sale in Saudi Arabia trump the US in financial world?
Huawei launches its own OS to compete with Google and Apple. But can it win beyond China?

The problem with lab grown diamonds
Why a falling rupee is a better option for the economy

A list of top 20 momentum stocks that have delivered massive returns in one year