Current Context: On 17 September 2026, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the fifth edition of SEMICON India in New Delhi and presented the Semicon 2.0 roadmap. The three-day conference brought together more than 600 companies from 52 countries to strengthen India’s position across the global semiconductor value chain.
Key Points:
- Nodal ministry: Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.
- Implementing body: India Semiconductor Mission.
- Programme allocation: Approximately ₹1.27 lakh crore has been proposed for Semicon 2.0.
- Approach: The roadmap adopts a silicon-to-systems strategy covering the complete chip-development cycle.
- Major segments: Semiconductor design, wafer fabrication, advanced packaging, equipment, materials and system development.
- Large fabrication units: Eligible projects involving investments of at least ₹20,000 crore may receive government support of up to 40%.
- Research support: Approved research and development projects may receive assistance covering as much as 75% of their costs.
- Start-up support: Proposed measures include equity co-investment, royalty-based financing and assistance for commercialising domestic chip designs.
- Skills: The programme seeks to build a specialised workforce for fabrication, packaging, testing, equipment and semiconductor design.
- Supply-chain security: Domestic production is expected to reduce dependence on overseas manufacturing and imported components.
- Strategic sectors: Chips produced through the ecosystem will support artificial intelligence, telecommunications, automobiles, defence, healthcare and consumer electronics.
- Market projection: India’s semiconductor consumption is expected to reach approximately US$110 billion by 2030.
- Global investment: Applied Materials announced a proposed US$5 billion investment over ten years in Indian research, supply-chain development and workforce expansion.
Question:
Q1. Which organisation implements India’s national semiconductor-development programme?a) Digital India Corporation
b) National Informatics Centre
c) India Semiconductor Mission
d) Software Technology Parks of India
Answer: c) The India Semiconductor Mission coordinates government support for semiconductor fabrication, packaging, design and ecosystem development.
