The government is intensifying efforts to revamp the semiconductor design ecosystem, targeting over 300 organizations nationwide, including 250 academic institutions and 65 startups. Led by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), this initiative aims to usher in a new era of innovation, empowering skilled individuals from across the country to design semiconductor chips, according to an official statement from MeitY on Thursday.

The approach aligns with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision that “Design in India” is as crucial as “Make in India.” Through the Chip to Startup (C2S) Programme, the government plans to produce 85,000 industry-ready professionals with specialized knowledge in semiconductor chip design at the B.Tech, M.Tech, and PhD levels.

The C2S Programme provides students with practical experience in chip design, fabrication, and testing. This hands-on training, developed in collaboration with industry partners, offers access to essential resources like EDA tools, semiconductor foundries, and mentorship opportunities. Participants will also implement R&D projects to develop prototypes of ASICs, SoCs, and IP Core designs.

To support these efforts, the ChipIN Centre, one of the largest facilities in the country, has been established at C-DAC. This centre brings advanced chip design infrastructure directly to the doorstep of the semiconductor design community.

As part of India’s semiconductor mission, the indigenous development of the ‘BLDC Controller Chip’ has been awarded to Vervesemi Microelectronics Pvt Ltd. This chip, which will have 90% of its Bill of Materials (BOM) made in India, offers a self-reliant semiconductor solution with a complete power and control system at under $1.50 and scalability to 10 million units per year.

Founded in 2017, Vervesemi is a fabless semiconductor company specializing in high-performance ASICs for sensors and wireless applications, leveraging state-of-the-art data converters and innovative Analog IP.

(With IANS inputs)