'Bharat steps up efforts to be product nation': Ashwini Vaishnaw lauds India's semiconductor push; encourages startups in chip design

India’s push to build its own semiconductor ecosystem got a boost after Union Minister for Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw praised the progress in chip manufacturing, calling it an important step towards becoming a “product nation”.Taking to X on Monday, Vaishnaw cited a media report while highlighting the importance of homegrown chipsets in India’s technological journey. “Chipsets with our own IP is an important objective in this journey,” he wrote, as he highlighted the government’s semiconductor mission and the Design Linked Incentives (DLI) scheme aimed at encouraging start-ups in chip design.In his post, the minister added, “Bharat steps up efforts to be a product nation.

Chipsets with our own IP is an important objective in this journey. Our semiconductor mission has a component - Design Linked Incentives (DLI) - to encourage startups who innovate and design chips. Supported by DLI Scheme and IIT-M expertise, Mindgrove Technologies has designed secure IoT chips.”He highlighted IIT-M incubated Mindgrove Technologies as an example of how innovation is working alongside government policy.

Set up in 2021, the fabless semiconductor start-up develops system-on-chips (SoCs) and hardware in India for the global market.Its secure IoT chips, developed with the support of the DLI scheme and IIT-Madras expertise, are intended for use in CCTV cameras, industrial applications under Industry 4.0, and other Internet of Things (IoT) products.Mindgrove has recently confirmed that it has placed its first mass manufacturing order for secure IoT chips with its foundry partner, according to the media report referred to by the minister.The company also secured approval under the DLI scheme in September last year, amounting to Rs 15 crore, to develop its second product line, the Vision SoC, the report added.