New Delhi

India’s push to build a strong semiconductor base is advancing steadily, alongside continued growth in the information technology sector.

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology said the Semicon India Programme is moving ahead quickly, with ten major projects approved so far. The programme, with an outlay of Rs 76,000 crore, aims to create a complete ecosystem for chip manufacturing in the country. These approved projects together involve investments of about Rs 1.6 lakh crore.

The ministry said the projects include two semiconductor fabrication units and eight packaging units. These facilities will work on key technologies such as CMOS silicon chips, silicon carbide chips, advanced packaging, and memory packaging. While construction is ongoing at most locations, pilot production has already begun at four units, marking an important step for domestic chip manufacturing.

The programme is also supporting innovation and skills. So far, 24 chip design projects led by startups have received government support. Out of these, 16 have completed tapeouts, and 13 have attracted venture capital funding, showing rising investor confidence. In addition, 350 universities have been given access to specialised chip design tools, which are currently used by around 65,000 engineers.

The India Semiconductor Mission is managing the initiative with support from industry experts and government departments. Major approved projects include Tata Electronics’ fab in Gujarat, a packaging unit in Assam, and partnerships with global firms like Micron and Renesas.

Alongside this, India’s IT sector continues to expand. NASSCOM estimates sector revenue will reach $283 billion in 2024-25. The government is promoting IT growth in smaller cities to spread digital benefits nationwide.