CHIPS TO STARTUP PROGRAM
Background and strategic context
- Semiconductors have become a strategic foundation for economic growth, technological leadership, and national security.
- Global demand for advanced electronics, AI systems, and digital infrastructure is rising rapidly.
- The global semiconductor industry is projected to reach nearly USD 1 trillion by 2030.
- At the same time, the global ecosystem faces a shortage of skilled semiconductor professionals, with a requirement of over 1 million additional experts by 2032.
- This situation places India in a critical position to contribute skilled manpower and indigenous innovation to the global semiconductor value chain.
INDIA’S POLICY RESPONSE
- Recognising chip design as a national strategic priority, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has launched multiple initiatives to strengthen India’s semiconductor ecosystem.
- These initiatives focus on:
- Talent creation
- Indigenous design capability
- Academic–industry collaboration
- Nearly 400 organisations are covered under these efforts, including:
- 305 academic institutions under the Chips to Start-up (C2S) Programe
- 95 startups supported under the Design Linked Incentive (DLI) Scheme
WHAT IS THE CHIPS TO STARTUP PROGRAM?
- C2S is a national capacity-building programme launched in 2022
- Implemented by Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology
- Total outlay: ₹250 crore (5 years)
- Goal:
- Build industry-ready chip designers
- Promote indigenous chip design
- Support self-reliance (Atmanirbhar Bharat)
CORE OBJECTIVES OF C2S
- Train 85,000+ skilled professionals
- Enable hands-on chip design & fabrication
- Encourage:
- Start-ups
- Patents
- IP core development
- Reduce dependence on imported chip technologies
WHO IS BEING TRAINED?
- PhD scholars: 200 (advanced chip research)
- Tech (VLSI / Embedded): 7,000
- Tech (ECE / CS with VLSI focus): 8,800
- Tech students: 69,000
- Total trained / enrolled so far:
- 1 lakh enrolled
- ~67,000 already trained Scale of Participation
- Around 400 organisations involved
- 305 academic institutions (under C2S)
- 95 startups (linked with DLI Scheme)
- Open to students across India, regardless of location
HOW THE PROGRAM WORKS?
- Combines:
- Classroom learning
- Short-term courses
- Labs & projects
- Strong focus on hands-on experience
- Students work on:
- ASICs
- SoCs
- IP cores
- Uses real industry tools and foundries
ROLE OF CHIP IN CENTRE (C-DAC BENGALURU)
- Operated by Centre for Development of Advanced Computing
- Acts as national hub for chip design
- Supports 300+ institutions
- Provides:
- Advanced EDA tools
- Compute infrastructure
- IP libraries
- Technical mentoring
KEY FUNCTIONS
- Collects student chip designs
- Verifies and improves designs
- Sends designs for fabrication every 3 months
- Has resolved 4,800+ technical support requests
FABRICATION SUPPORT-SCL MOHALI
- Fabrication done at Semi-Conductor Laboratory
- Uses 180 nm technology
- Process:
- Multiple student designs combined on a shared wafer
- Chips are fabricated, packaged and returned
- Result:
- Students see their designs on real silicon
INFRASTRUCTURE & COMPUTING TOOLS & LABS
Provided
- SMART Labs (NIELIT)
- FPGA boards (centralised & distributed)
- PARAM Utkarsh supercomputer
MAJOR ACHIEVEMENTS SO FAR
- 1 lakh users used national EDA infrastructure
- 175 lakh+ hours of tool usage
- 6 shared wafer runs completed
- 122 chip designs submitted from 46 institutions
- 56 student chips successfully fabricated & delivered
- 265+ industry-led training sessions
- 75+ patents filed
- 500+ IP cores, ASICs & SoCs under development
STARTUPS RESEARCH & INNOVATION
- Programme aims to:
- Incubate 25 start-ups
- Enable 10 technology transfers
- Supports:
- Defence
- Telecom
- Automotive
- Consumer electronics
- Industrial applications
INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK BEHIND C2S
Ministry of Electronics & IT (MeitY)
- Policy direction
- Funding & oversight
- Industry coordination
C-DAC & ChipIN Centre
- Design tools & mentoring
- Verification & fabrication coordination
SCL Mohali
- Fabrication & packaging
- Real silicon exposure for students
Why C2S is Important for India
- Builds domestic chip design capability
- Strengthens academia–industry link
- Creates job-ready semiconductor talent
- Supports Make in India & Atmanirbhar Bharat
- Positions India as a credible global chip design hub
CONCLUSION
- Chip design is the highest-value part of the semiconductor chain
- The C2S Programme is creating:
- Skilled manpower
- Indigenous IP
- Startup innovation
- By combining training, tools and fabrication, India is laying a strong foundation for semiconductor leadership
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