New Delhi, Sep 16 (IANS) Union Minister for Railways, Information & Broadcasting, and Electronics & IT, Ashwini Vaishnaw, on Tuesday said that India’s growing pool of skilled talent is attracting global semiconductor design companies in large numbers.

Speaking at the inauguration of chip design giant ARM’s new office in Bengaluru, the minister said that one of the key goals of the Semiconductor Mission has been to build a strong and deep talent pipeline, and this effort is now showing results.

“Under the semiconductor mission, one of the major targets we have taken is to develop a very deep talent pipeline, and this is reflected in the way so many global design companies are coming to India because the talent is here,” Vaishnaw said.

The minister highlighted that the Semiconductor Mission is supporting 278 universities and institutions across the country, where students now have access to the world’s latest EDA tools for chip design.

“So far, 28 chips have already been designed by students. This reflects the confidence that global semiconductor companies have in India,” he added.

Vaishnaw also announced that ARM will design advanced chips, including two-nanometer (2nm) chips, from its new Bengaluru unit.

He congratulated ARM and its team for choosing India as a hub for such cutting-edge work.

The minister noted that ecosystem partners, such as suppliers of chemicals, gases, substrates, and manufacturing equipment, are also setting up facilities in India.

At the same time, design capabilities are growing fast with many design-linked incentive (DLI) companies receiving funding from venture capital partners.

Vaishnaw further shared that the government has launched the India Deep Tech Fund, starting with $1 billion, to support innovation in artificial intelligence, semiconductors, biotech, and other advanced technology sectors.

Looking ahead, the minister said that the upcoming Version 2.0 of the Semiconductor Mission will focus on developing equipment and materials required for chip manufacturing, in addition to design and fabrication.

“We are working on the complete semiconductor stack -- designing chips, manufacturing them, building the equipment and materials that go into making them, and developing the talent pipeline. The progress is very good, and this is just the beginning,” he said.

--IANS

pk