Major Boost for India's Semiconductor Ambitions
The Indian government has announced a massive Rs 4,500 crore investment to modernise the state-owned Semiconductor Laboratory (SCL) in Mohali, marking a significant step forward in the nation's semiconductor manufacturing capabilities. Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw made this crucial announcement during his visit to the facility on Friday, November 29, 2024.
Transforming SCL into World-Class Facility
Vaishnaw, who holds multiple portfolios including Railways, Information & Broadcasting and Electronics & Information Technology, clearly stated that SCL will be modernised but not privatised. The minister emphasized the government's vision to transform the facility into one of the world's most advanced small-node semiconductor centers.
The comprehensive modernisation plan aims to equip SCL with cutting-edge technologies that will dramatically expand its capabilities. Most notably, the upgrade will push wafer production to nearly 100 times its current level, representing a quantum leap in manufacturing capacity. Despite these advanced upgrades, SCL will continue its crucial role in serving students, researchers and startups by offering accessible fabrication support at a national scale.
National Chip Roadmap and Strategic Partnerships
This investment forms part of India's unified national chip roadmap strategy. Under this comprehensive plan, multiple key organizations including C-DAC, DRDO, leading research institutes and industry experts will collaborate to develop cutting-edge fabrication technologies, defence-grade semiconductors, high-reliability packaging solutions and advanced EDA tools.
Vaishnaw highlighted that the upcoming technological upgrades will enable India to move beyond the 90 nm technology node and accelerate progress toward more advanced semiconductor manufacturing capabilities. This strategic move positions India not just as a chip-design powerhouse but also as an emerging force in semiconductor fabrication and packaging.
Student Innovations and C2S Initiative Success
The announcement was complemented by a significant demonstration of India's growing semiconductor talent. During the event, students from 17 leading institutions including IITs, NITs, IIITs and other prominent universities presented 28 advanced chip designs to the central government. All these designs were fabricated at SCL and returned to the respective student teams, showcasing the facility's vital role in nurturing homegrown talent.
These achievements are part of the Chips to Start-up (C2S) initiative, which is emerging as a game-changing bridge between India's academic talent and the global semiconductor industry. The program has already achieved remarkable progress:
- 113 institutions provided with Process Design Kits (PDKs)
- 231 silicon numbers allocated for fabrication support
- 94 designs lined up for fabrication and packaging under free-access model
- Specialized UNIX-based vendor-bound master application system developed
Future Expansion and Ecosystem Development
SCL is rapidly evolving from a mere fabrication facility into a comprehensive technological launchpad driving India's innovation and startup landscape. Officials project that over the coming years, chip designs from more than 300 universities will be fabricated at SCL.
The expanded facility will play a central role in supporting new-age startups working in critical domains including:
- Artificial Intelligence
- Defence electronics
- Medical technology
- Automation systems
- Next-generation smart devices
To facilitate this ambitious expansion, which includes new fabrication lines, advanced testing infrastructure and upgraded packaging units, the Centre has formally requested 25 acres of additional land from the Punjab Government. This expansion is expected to make SCL India's first comprehensive, all-in-one semiconductor ecosystem operating under a single umbrella.
According to SCL sources, the event at SCL Mohali represents a defining milestone in India's chip revolution. The 28 student-developed designs handed over demonstrate that India's youth are no longer just consumers of global technology, but emerging creators and manufacturers in the strategic semiconductor sector.
