The Need for a Private Semiconductor Research Organization with Full Union Government Support

India's semiconductor ecosystem is expanding through the India Semiconductor Mission (ISM), which provides financial support for manufacturing, fabrication facilities, and research and development. Alongside these efforts, the government has planned to  establish  the Bharat Semiconductor Research Centre (BSRC) at IIT Madras as a collaborative research hub modelled on institutions like IMEC. The Bharat Semiconductor Research Centre  can foster collaboration between academia, government, and industry, advancing research in areas like advanced silicon and packaging, and developing a strong domestic semiconductor ecosystem.

Current private-sector activities include chip design startups supported by the Design Linked Incentive (DLI) Scheme launched in 2022. Under this scheme, 22 chip design companies have received support, over 72 companies have gained access to advanced design software tools, and ₹234 crore has been committed to Indian startups. Domestic companies such as Kaynes Semicon and CG Power are setting up manufacturing and packaging units. Foreign investments include commitments from Lam Research and Micron Technology for an advanced packaging unit. New facilities under development include the SiCSem Pvt. Ltd. compound semiconductor fab and an advanced packaging unit by 3D Glass Solutions Inc., both in Odisha.

Despite these developments, In...