IT Minister announced India’s first homegrown semiconductor chip, expected to launch this year

In a major milestone for India’s tech manufacturing ambitions, Union Minister for Electronics and IT, Ashwini Vaishnaw, announced that the country’s first indigenous semiconductor chip—ranging between 28 to 90 nanometres—will be launched this year, according to media reports.

Speaking at the Confederation of Indian Industry’s (CII) Annual Business Summit, Vaishnaw revealed the government’s strategic focus on a specific segment of the semiconductor market. “Today, six fabrication units are under construction. The rollout of the first Made in India chip is expected this year. We initiated this journey in 2022, and the progress has been steady,” Vaishnaw stated.

Chips within the 28-90 nm range are widely used in sectors like automotive, telecommunications, power equipment, and railways. In semiconductor technology, a smaller nanometre figure signifies more densely packed transistors, improving performance and energy efficiency.

Emphasizing the importance of a holistic growth model, the minister said, “While there is a strong push towards services, we must not ignore manufacturing. India’s future growth relies on both. It is time to focus on creating our own intellectual property, products, designs, and standards.”

Vaishnaw also spoke about the growing impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and compared its significance to that of the internet. “AI is reshaping industries and societies alike. We must prepare ourselves for this change, regardless of our sector or profession,” he added.

He underscored the importance of building AI systems that reflect India’s diverse socio-cultural landscape, mentioning an initiative already in progress. He noted that one such initiative is already underway with the creation of an India-centric AI model named Sarvam, added the report.

In his role as Minister of Railways, Vaishnaw also shared key achievements in the railway sector. “India has now become the world’s second-largest freight railway network, transporting 1,612 million tonnes of cargo—surpassing the United States and Russia,” he revealed.

He further mentioned a notable rise in passenger capacity and described this phase as a time when long-standing aspirations are being realised.

Highlighting the role of innovation, the minister praised the integration of startups into the railway ecosystem. “Our experiment of welcoming innovation through startups has yielded strong results. A new policy is being formulated to test new ideas at scale and expand them based on performance,” he concluded.

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