Semicon India's ₹1,000-crore Push: 23 Chip Designs Get Green Light

The Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY) has approved 23 chip design projects under the ₹1,000-crore Design Linked Incentive (DLI) Scheme, a key component of the ₹76,000-crore Semicon India Programme aimed at developing India’s semiconductor ecosystem.

The DLI Scheme provides financial support to startups, MSMEs, and academic institutions for chip prototyping and commercialization—covering up to 50% of eligible costs (capped at ₹15 crore per application), along with 4–6% incentives on net sales turnover for five years (capped at ₹30 crore). Since its launch in December 2021, the initiative has enabled 72 startups and 278 academic institutions to access advanced Electronic Design Automation (EDA) tools and IP cores essential for chip design.

The newly sanctioned projects target a range of applications, including surveillance systems, energy meters, networking solutions, and microprocessor IPs. Ten companies have secured venture capital funding, while six have completed prototype tapeouts at global foundries. Additionally, 20 chip designs from 17 institutions have been fabricated at the Semiconductor Laboratory in Mohali.

The total sanctioned outlay under the DLI Scheme now stands at ₹803.08 crore, reflecting India’s accelerating strides toward building a self-reliant, innovation-led semiconductor design ecosystem.

News by Rahul Yelligetti.