India’s Semicon 2.0 Targets 200 Chip Design Startups and Companies

Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said that Semicon India 2.0 will support at least 200 chip design startups and companies in the county. The national initiative is also looking to train 100,000 semiconductor technicians, cleanroom workers, and factory-floor employees. 

"In Semicon 2.0, we will take on a big task of developing technician talent, the clean room talent, the factory floor talent, and we will be targeting 1 lakh talent to be developed," Vaishnaw said at Semicon India 2026 as per Bignews Network. 

What Has India Achieved Under Semicon’s First Pillar?

According to Vaishnaw, 105 chip design startups participated in the first pillar of Semicon India. Out of these, 20 received nearly ₹800 crore in venture capital funding. He added that approximately 70,000 of the 85,000 design engineers targeted under Semicon India 1.0 had been trained. 

Vaishnaw noted that the $5 billion investment announced at the event is expected to create jobs and help grow India’s semiconductor industry. The Union Minister noted that in the second phase of Semicon India 2.0 will focus on semiconductor machinery, materials, advanced packaging, and talent development. 

What Will Other Semicon Pillars Focus On?

The Union Minister said Semicon’s third pillar would revolve around displays, silicon, memory, compound, and logic chips. He noted that the fourth one will focus on advanced packaging, adding that a 3D packaging unit is already being set up in Odisha. 

Under the fifth pillar, the initiative will focus on research and development while talent development, which is a strategic priority in the Indian Union Budget 2026, would be taken care of in the sixth pillar. As part of the fifth pillar, projects will integrate cutting-edge industry requirements in the country through collaboration with academia. 

"This will be fully driven by the industry and academia, absolutely working in harmony and in synchronisation. It won't be an isolated kind of R&D. It will be a very applied kind of R&D that we would be looking at," Vaishnaw noted.

What PM Narendra Modi Said at SEMICON India 2026

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the SEMICON India 2026 event on September 17 in New Delhi. PM Modi highlighted the rapid expansion of India’s semiconductor ecosystem and the growth opportunities it presents. 

He said AI is transforming the semiconductor industry and stressed the need for India to build capacity to meet growing demand for trusted chip manufacturing. Last year, Tata Electronics teamed up with Bosch to strengthen chip manufacturing in India. 

PM Modi also announced the $13.5 billion second phase of the Semiconductor Mission and highlighted reforms to boost collaboration among global firms and Semicon chip design startups.

When is the SEMICON India 2026 Event Happening? 

SEMICON India 2026 is running from September 17 to 19. The event brings together industry leaders, policymakers, and international partners to discuss the growth of India’s semiconductor industry. MeitY, the India Semiconductor Mission (ISM), and the global industry group SEMI are jointly organising the event, themed “Silicon to Systems: Building the Ecosystem.”