With global demand for advanced electronics and AI-driven applications rising steadily, the semiconductor industry is projected to reach nearly USD 1 trillion by 2030.

Recognizing chip design as a strategic national priority, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has implemented proactive measures to transform India’s semiconductor design landscape

Chips to Start-up (C2S) Programme

• An umbrella capacity-building initiative launched by the MeitY in 2022, with a total outlay of ₹250 crore over five years
• The C2S Programme targets the development of 85,000 industry-ready professionals across undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral levels
• the C2S Programme aims to catalyse the incubation of 25 start-ups and enable 10 technology transfers

Programme Approach and Implementation

• Provides students with hands-on experience in chip design, fabrication, and testing
• Students gain access to advanced chip design tools, fabrication facilities, and testing resources
• The opportunities include: Implementing R&D projects under the C2S Programme to develop working prototypes of Application-Specific Integrated Circuit (ASICs), Systems-on-Chip (SoCs), and Intellectual Property (IP) Core designs etc
• ChipIN Centre: Enabling Chip Design and Fabrication Support under C2S Programme

Key Takeaways

• Over 1 lakh individuals have enrolled in chip design training
• The ChipIN Centre conducted 6 shared wafer runs and 265+ training sessions in collaboration with industry partners.
• The Semi-Conductor Laboratory (SCL) enabled hands-on chip design at scale
• Participating institutions have filed 75+ patents and are developing 500+ IP cores, ASICs and SoC designs

Significance:

• Builds strategic talent to address the global semiconductor skill gap.
• Democratises chip design by giving students nationwide access to advanced tools and fabrication.
• Strengthens self-reliance (Atmanirbhar Bharat) in a critical, security-sensitive sector