Launch of The Semicon Consortium

Startup Policy Forum (SPF) announced the creation of The Semicon Consortium, an alliance that brings together semiconductor startups, venture‑capital investors and global semiconductor manufacturers to provide a permanent platform for policy advancement, structured government‑industry engagement and long‑term ecosystem development. The consortium will be operationalised over the next few weeks.

Context – India Semiconductor Mission 2.0

The launch follows the Union Cabinet’s approval on 15 July 2026 of the India Semiconductor Mission (ISM) 2.0 with a fiscal outlay of INR 1,27,500 crore, which is approximately 68 % larger than the budget allocated to ISM 1.0 in 2021.

High‑Level Roundtable (Semicon Baatcheet)

The announcement was made at “Semicon Baatcheet”, a roundtable chaired by S Krishnan, Secretary, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY). Attendees included semiconductor startups Agrani Labs, Agnit Semiconductors, Incore Semiconductors, Mantra Semiconductor, Photonsilica and Bharat Semi; venture‑capital firms Bessemer Venture Partners, Speciale Invest, Elevation Capital and Iron Pillar; and global players AMD, Intel and Ericsson.

Priorities Discussed

Key priorities identified for ISM 2.0 implementation were faster deployment of patient capital, effective execution of the proposed government co‑investment model, strengthening semiconductor talent pipelines, improving access to shared infrastructure, generating demand through strategic public procurement and simplifying operational guidelines to enable startups across the semiconductor value chain to scale.

Statements

Secretary S Krishnan said that India’s semiconductor journey requires strong partnerships between government, industry, startups, academia and investors, and that structured industry engagement is essential to keep policy design grounded in practical realities. SPF President & CEO Shweta Rajpal Kohli noted that the ambition will be realised not only through large manufacturing investments but also through a thriving startup ecosystem that builds IP, equipment, materials and next‑generation technologies, and that sustained dialogue will be critical as ISM 2.0 moves into implementation.

Report Release

The roundtable also launched the report “India’s Semiconductor Startup Landscape 2026”, jointly published by SPF and Speciale Invest, which maps the emerging semiconductor innovation ecosystem and highlights opportunities across chip design, materials, manufacturing technologies, packaging and enabling infrastructure.

Ongoing Policy Work

Insights from the discussion will feed into SPF’s policy recommendations being prepared by knowledge partner Ikigai Law for the implementation of ISM 2.0 and future semiconductor policy initiatives.

About Startup Policy Forum

SPF is an independent, not‑for‑profit industry alliance representing more than 75 of India’s leading new‑age technology companies with a combined valuation exceeding USD 100 billion. Its membership spans fintech, consumer technology, deep‑tech, health‑tech, mobility and other sectors, including Zerodha, Razorpay, Emergent, Pine Labs, Groww, OYO, CRED, Meesho, InVideo, Digantara, ixigo, Curefoods and CARS24. SPF partners with DPIIT, MeitY Startup Hub and IIT Madras and regularly convenes high‑level dialogues with policymakers, regulators and industry leaders to advance evidence‑based policy that enables innovation‑led economic growth.