As India sharpens its semiconductor ambitions, DLI-backed startups notch 16 tape-outs, patents and funding. Minister expresses hope.
On January 27, 2026, Union Minister for Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw reviewed the progress of semiconductor chip design companies supported under India’s Design Linked Incentive (DLI) Scheme.
At an interaction in New Delhi, the Minister said the DLI initiative under the Semicon India Programme was beginning to deliver concrete outcomes, with startups moving from concept to tape-out and early commercial traction.
According to government data shared at the event, access to advanced electronic design automation tools has resulted in more than 22.5 million tool-hours of usage. Around 67,000 students and over 1000 startup engineers are currently engaged.
Academic institutions have completed 122 tape-outs, with 56 chips fabricated at the Semiconductor Laboratory in Mohali, while startups have achieved 16 tape-outs, including chips produced at nodes as advanced as 12 nanometres.
The DLI scheme, starting from 2022, supports domestic chip design across areas such as system-on-chips, artificial intelligence, telecom, power management and Internet of Things (IoT) applications, which are seen as critical to India’s technology self-reliance.
Companies under the programme are working on a wide range of designs, including RISC-V-based processors, AI-enabled low-power chips, telecom and wireless chipsets, and mixed-signal integrated circuits. Several projects also target strategic sectors such as automotive, defence, energy and space.
Vaishnaw noted that 24 startups are now part of the DLI scheme and that the government plans to expand support to at least 50 fabless companies in the next phase.
The Minister added that global perception of India’s semiconductor ambitions has shifted, with international firms now more willing to collaborate. He reiterated that upcoming facilities, including the Dholera fab, would complement domestic design with manufacturing capability.
Looking ahead, Vaishnaw said India aims to meet most domestic chip requirements by the end of the decade and emerge as a leading semiconductor nation in the longer term.
