SEMICON India 2026 Conference and Semiconductor Ecosystem Development
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate SEMICON India 2026 at Yashobhoomi in Dwarka on September 17, marking a significant milestone in India's semiconductor manufacturing journey. The three-day event features the theme "Silicon to Systems: Building the Ecosystem" and will host over 600 exhibitors, 300 international companies, 150+ speakers, six country pavilions, and 12 state pavilions across 15,000 square metres of exhibition space. The conference includes a startup showcase, student hackathon, workforce development pavilion, and Women forum, representing India's comprehensive semiconductor ecosystem development.
Electronics Manufacturing Growth and Semiconductor Foundation
India's electronics manufacturing has experienced remarkable growth, with production increasing from ₹1.9 lakh crore in 2014-15 to ₹13.11 lakh crore in 2025-26, representing a sevenfold jump. Electronics exports surged elevenfold from approximately ₹38,000 crore to ₹4.24 lakh crore during the same period. Mobile phone production showed particularly dramatic growth, increasing 33 times from ₹18,000 crore to ₹6.27 lakh crore, while mobile exports grew 165 times from about ₹1,500 crore to ₹2.59 lakh crore. Smartphones have become India's single largest exported commodity in FY 2025-26, surpassing petroleum products and gems and jewellery. India now produces 99.2% of the phones it uses and has transitioned from net importer to net exporter of mobile phones, supporting 2.5 million jobs in the manufacturing sector.
Semicon Program Development and Investment
The Semicon India program launched in 2021 with a ₹76,000 crore outlay covering the entire semiconductor value chain including chip design, fabrication, packaging, testing, equipment, materials, and talent development. In July 2026, the government approved Semicon 2.0 with an expanded ₹1,27,500 crore outlay built around six pillars: chip design, semiconductor equipment and materials, fabrication facilities, advanced packaging, research and development, and talent development. Twelve semiconductor projects have been approved across six states with investment commitments exceeding ₹1.64 lakh crore, spanning silicon and compound semiconductor fabs, display fabrication, and advanced packaging. Three facilities have already commenced commercial production.
Talent Development and Chip Design Infrastructure
The semiconductor talent development target aims to create a pool of 85,000 skilled semiconductor engineers within this decade. Through the Chips to Startup programme, Electronic Design Automation tools have been deployed across 320 academic institutions, training more than 68,000 students. Twenty-four semiconductor design projects have received financial support, while 105 startups and MSMEs have received EDA tool support under the Design Linked Incentive (DLI) Scheme. By April 2026, 211 chips had been taped out by 75 institutions, with seven chips fabricated at various nodes including advanced nodes down to 12 nanometers.
The ChipIN Centre established at C-DAC under the Chips to Start-up (C2S) Programme and DLI Scheme serves as a centralized national facility providing access to advanced chip-design tools, fabrication services, and specialized training. The center has extended these facilities to more than 100,000 engineers from over 500 organizations, including 400 academic institutions and 100 startups. These organizations have collectively developed more than 300 chip designs for fabrication at SCL Mohali and advanced foundries abroad, recording over 4 crore hours of chip-design tool usage.
International Cooperation and Strategic Alignment
India formally joined the Pax Silica coalition during the India AI Impact Summit 2026, bringing together the United States and other partner nations to secure the global silicon supply chain. The coalition focuses on securing the full "silicon stack" from critical minerals and fabrication to advanced AI systems and deployment infrastructure, with the mission to keep supply chains diversified, resist economic coercion, and maintain technologies in the hands of open, democratic nations.